Secretly Pooka
by Lighted Candle
Summary: The Frostfall clan's ship crashed into a planet and many millienia later the spaceship's computer woke the oldest Pooka left onboard. Jack and his baby brother had survived the Pookan massacre. Problem: the planet they were on was going to die. Gen. (No Romance) Pooka Jack Frost.
1. The Cryogenic Chambers

Secretly Pooka

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

Author's note: Words that are _italicized_ are thoughts and words that are underlined are Pookan.

In this fanfic, the Pooka are not able to shape-shift by themselves. However with a special pendant of magic, they can.

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Chapter 1: The Cryogenic Chambers

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Jack blinked slowly awake as the ice retreated from his skin. _What... happened?_ A door in the tube formed and popped out, Jack spilling limply onto the floor. Ah, right. The cryogenic chamber was meant to put him and the others to sleep. Specifically the type of sleep where one could not dream. If the person in the tube couldn't dream, they couldn't have fearful dreams either. And if emotion wasn't detected, then that Pooka would be hidden from the senses of fearlings.

Fearlings... the terrible minions of the once the great war hero general known as Kozmotis Pitchiner. Now Kozmotis Pitchiner was known as Pitch Black. And... he had been hunting them.

Heart beating fast, Jack realized that the room was covered in inches of dust. And no one was there. The computer... Jack's gaze drifted to a flashing light. It had woken him up because the stored baby food had run out. It was the only food storage that wouldn't automatically be supplied after a certain number of times. (After all, the baby wouldn't remain a baby forever.) In agonizing slow motion, Jack picked himself off the floor.

Jack stumbled out of the hidden room. Slowly as his mind began to wake up, Jack remembered that his full name was Rhododendron Thistle Frostfall. His mind was numb as he peeked into rooms, some more hidden than others and found no one. Cryogenic tubes were smashed, age old scars were torn into the walls and dust covered it all. But there were no bodies or any sign of his family. Or any signs of a fearling for that matter. As fast as he could limply manage, Jack found and uncovered the undamaged switch for another hidden room, this one for his baby brother. To Jack's relief, his baby brother was sleeping peacefully in the cryogenic sleeping basket. The computer sensed Jack's approach and automatically opened the lid of the mini sleeping tube. Jack ran a shaky hand down 'Aloe' Pine Frostfall's blue fur. Aloe was breathing! His baby brother was still alive! Trembling, Jack gathered Aloe into his arms and nuzzled the kit.

After a while of assuring himself that, yes, they were alive, other facts began to drift into his brain. Jack staggered, Aloe safe in his arms, and booted up the computer in the room. Jack typed in a search. Jack shouldn't have been the one that the computer woke up if there was someone older alive. After all, Jack was the second youngest of the Frostfall clan. It took several searches with the same answer that Jack began to panic. No one else, alive, was on the ship. Gulping, Jack altered his search, but the computer didn't find even traces of the DNA of the other Pooka. While Jack hoped that meant that it meant that the others were alive, in his heart Jack knew.

Jack blinked and almost keeled over when he typed in a question. How long had Jack and Aloe been sleeping? The answer, longer than even the oldest Pooka he used to know. Guess the cryogenic chambers worked very well. Swallowing, Jack's stuttering mind latched onto his stomach's growl. millenniums were a long time to go without proper substance.

His body was very thin and near-skeletal Jack noted as his family's basic training took over. Food was his primary objective. For now the ship seemed to be a safe shelter, but that needed to be checked. It wouldn't do if there were still enemies in the shadows to attack or new hazards to be aware of. Jack tapped into the main computers located in the control room and read the results. The Frostfall's spaceship had crash landed on a planet with breathable air. (At least now it was breathable. In millennias past it might have not been). There was wild-life growing (probably jump started by the crash-landing of a Pookan spaceship). More importantly currently was the fact that there was food out there digestible and edible for young Pookas. Unfortunately, this planet was near the end of it's life. It's sun was going to explode within ten planetary cycles. It was a good thing they had run out of baby food then. Otherwise Jack wouldn't have been woken up until it was too late. Now Jack and Aloe didn't have to just survive on this planet, but the Pooka twelve year old and his infant brother would need to gather supplies to go to another planet. And Jack knew he didn't have the skill or power to get the entire spaceship back into space. But fortunately, there was a way...

Jack gritted his teeth. He typed in two orders to the mainframe just as Aloe began to stir, waking up. Aloe yawned cutely and blinked up at Jack.

Jack relaxed, smiling softly, "Hello, little brother."

Aloe cooed, waving his tiny furred limbs.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you. It's dangerous to take you while I go foraging or hunting, but it isn't smart or safe to leave you behind either. Well now that I've said that out loud there is only one choice I can make huh."

Aloe cooed again, grabbing hold of Jack's finger.

Jack glanced over the computer and relaxed when it verified there was no potential fauna predators that could eat him on this planet. However, this planet was a lot like Gallifrey, the Pookan home planet, where the vegetation was aggressive enough to kill.

Jack left his second search running while he left the room, equipped with a baby harness. Ignoring the emptiness and his sickened stomach when there was no sign of anyone else from the Frostfall clan; Jack gathered the tools he would need to harvest plants, possibly replicate or store seeds, and a couple of weapons to defend himself and Aloe.

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Jack took a deep breath as the door to the outside opened.


	2. The Unnamed Planet

Secretly Pooka

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

Author's note: I actually thought Gallifrey was the name of the Pookan home planet, it sounded familiar enough. It sounded like one of the names of the countries in Prince's Bride. But then with Painapple's review, I double checked that. :) It seems fitting enough since the Pookas could have been time lords.

Also this planet has pretty long 'days' and 'years' in comparison to Earth's. I think that real galaxies would take quite a bit little longer to blow up, but I'm not sure. However, I'm taking a bit of literary freedom here.

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Chapter two: The Unnamed Planet

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Jack ducked as a vine lashed at his head, swinging his sword and cutting off the aggressive plant limb. He journeyed deeper into the gigantic forest. Even the grass was taller than Jack was and was known as 'Bladed' grass for a reason. The edges of the greenery were sharper than the cactus' spines on Gallifrey! Prior to this adventure, Jack had never been so grateful for gloves and storage capsules. Storage capsules could hold plenty of items in a small container until the items were needed again. The idea had originally come from an Pookan inventor who was tired of carrying heavy fruits in several dangerous trips home. On Jack's back, Aloe giggled as Jack picked up speed and jumped over an abyss. Jack grunted as he felt his energy lagging and sped up faster anyway. _There!_

Jack leaped and twisted in the air, landing on all four paws, having skipped over prowling leaves. Jack poked the giant berry with an metal rod and sighed in satisfaction as it was deemed non-poisonous by the simple machine. Jack put the machine away, pulling out a storage capsule and beaming the into the container with a flash of white light. He had left the one berry that he had poked with the scanner outside of the storage container (the berry was smaller than the others, but still half Jack's size). Jack pulled out a small kitchen knife and cut a section off, juice squirting over the two young Pookas. Keeping an eye on his surroundings as best he could, Jack twisted the baby harness so he could see Aloe. It was extremely fortunate that Aloe was at the age where he could be weaned off his mother's milk, because there was no more of mother's milk (including milk substitutes). It was a messy process, but Jack was able to get Aloe to eat the berry piece. Gently Jack imitated a memory of his mother by putting Aloe on his shoulder and patting the baby kit's back. After a few moments, wondering why his mother would do so, Jack heard Aloe burp. Not even a second later, Jack's face was filled with revulsion at the feeling of the throw-up on his blue-brown fur. Satisfied, Aloe laughed and settled in the harness, yawning and falling asleep, still under some influence from the cryogenic chambers.

"Eww!" Jack shuddered, trying to wipe the liquid off with a leaf instead of his hand. The plants might have somehow smelled or otherwise detected the berry juice on Jack and left him alone instead of trying to throttle them. Grimacing after he had scrubbed as much of the liquid off of his fur as he could, Jack turned his attention back the berry and ate it one handedly without the help of his kitchen knife to size it down. (He had used the other hand to try and clean himself off).

The growing shadows spooked Jack, bringing his attention to the late hour. Jack glanced up. Sure enough, the sun was setting. He probably wouldn't make it back to the ship until a little after dark even going as fast as Jack could. It made Jack's stomach clench in uneasiness, but Jack was determined to get to the ship before the last rays of light left the sky and made the flora potentially more dangerous. After Jack double checked that he had all of his equipment, Jack tightened the straps that held Aloe to his back and zoomed off.

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Just as the sky was abruptly darkened, Jack tumbled inside the spaceship, hitting the button that would close the doors. Automatically dim lights highlighted the hallways. Making his way back to Aloe's 'room', Jack collapsed into exhaustion as the internal door closed.

/

Jack groaned as he felt someone nudge him insistently awake. Blinking his blue eyes open, Jack realized Aloe was bumping him in a gesture of, 'Good morning, now wake UP!'

"Guess you are hungry then, huh?" Jack mumbled before yawning, "Alright, alright. I'm awake."

Aloe waited impatiently for Jack to move before nudging Jack again.

"I got it. Here." Jack huffed in amusement as the fruit piece was gone in short order. Aloe sneezed and burped at the same time shortly after, shaking his tiny head. _At least nothing came up this time... thought too soon._ Jack mourned the state of his fur. He could already foretell that this would be a common event for a while.

Aloe tried to climb out out Jack's arms. "Oh no you don't. Not until most of this dust is cleaned up." Jack settled the squirming youngster back into the harness, going to find a dust vacuum. Having slept and moved around in the dust, both of the Pooka kits were fairly dirty. After Jack was satisfied with a cleaner floor, he prevented Aloe from running around again until Jack had first cleaned Aloe off. Finishing the grooming with the babe's delicate ears, Jack moved on to trying to lick the dirt and grossness out of his fur. At least he was more bendable than an adult would be. Otherwise his back would have never been clean again. There were parts that Jack couldn't do and uncomfortably tried to put it out of his mind for the moment.

Before he could return to the computer, Aloe pulled Jack into a small game of tag until the baby yawned. Chuckling and grateful that Aloe was so easy to please (remembering taking care of other kits), Jack cradled the infant and chinned his baby brother. When Aloe fell asleep, Jack remembered that he was still hungry too. Pulling out the storage container, Jack selected a new piece of fruit he hadn't tried yet. _It was... sour, but tasty._

Jack turned his attention back to the computer finally and looked up the galaxies-wide search. "There must be something-!" Jack's breath hitched in panic and repeats the search. Numb, Jack stared where the blank spots where galaxies had vanished in. Maybe the stars had moved while he was sleeping... But no, the spaceship would have kept track of any changes periodically. Furiously typing away, Jack's dread and horror grew as he realized he no longer had a home planet. Gallifrey was gone!

The fruit seemingly curdled in Jack's stomach and Rhododendron struggled to keep the nutrients down, swallowing fresh water from the planet.

Jack stood up, pacing, mindful of the napping tike. It would be a while before the search returned results so Jack kicked up his weapons into his hands, gathering storage containers and went hunting plants again.

/

Panting, Jack slid down against the closing doors. He really needed to keep better track of the time. At least he had managed to distract himself from the blank spots on the map of Space. Jack couldn't afford distractions out in the wild, especially with the guardianship of Aloe.

When he had caught his breath and his heart calmed, Jack stood up and walked among the dusty corridors. Aloe seemed to be adapting well to the new foods. His fecal matter was a little runny at first, but Aloe wasn't having any stomach aches.

Jack tiredly cleaned Aloe off once more, who yawned and fell asleep half-way through. And then groomed his own fur before returning to the computer screen. Rhododendron stared blankly at the repeated information. The universe had forever changed while he had been in suspended animation. It would have changed anyway, but... galaxies were gone and destroyed by an unnatural force.

Jack idly wondered if the fearlings were as dead as his kin now. Obviously plenty of the universe was still intact, which meant either someone won the war or the fearlings were biding their time for a new assault. When the two young Pooka left this planet, Jack noted that they would need to take the clan's weapons and artifacts (broken or not) along with their other supplies.

It hit Jack then that the escape-ship would need a location to go to. Which meant... it couldn't go to Gallifrey. Jack bolted upright, scrambling to type another galaxies-wide search. _Come on, come on... oh..._ Jack deflated. That large of a search would take at minimum a few hours. Filled with nervous energy, Jack couldn't bring himself to rest. Instead Jack started searching out every nook and cranny he could find and cleaned the areas as he collected odds and ends that could be useful for Jack and Aloe's escape from the on-verge-of-exploding sun.

Eventually, Jack fell asleep, exhausted near the computer.

/

Again Aloe was the reason Jack woke up some time later. As Rhododendron stretched, he mused that it seemed like it was going to be a routine wake-up call until Aloe could get his own food. While Aloe happily munched away on soft vegetables, Jack did a double take at the computer's search.

"No." Jack breathed in horror. _They couldn't be the last, they couldn't! Jack and Aloe were only kids!_

As Jack began to hyperventilate, Aloe reacted to Jack's panic and began to wail. Rhododendron Thistle forced himself to calm down, rocking Aloe a bit tighter than necessary with his eyes closed. It took some time, but the brothers' relaxed eventually. No longer as agitated, although his paws shook as Jack sent the search for other Pooka again.

As the days and then weeks passed, Jack grew increasing despondent and depressed as the search returned the same results day after day. There were no other Pooka detected. Each day Aloe, Jack's reason to keep moving and living, would wake Jack up. Then Aloe would be fed and then they went harvesting/ hunting. Jack went without food quite often because it just didn't seem appealing anymore. Rather it seemed like he could barely stomach looking at it most days. The routine day continued, Jack arriving back at the spaceship just before dark. Aloe would be fed the last of four or five small meals, play with Jack or be groomed by Jack before falling asleep in his older brother's arms. On restless nights, Jack cleaned the spaceship up more or prepped the escape-ship.

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About a month or two after they first woke up, the spaceship's computer alerted Jack that they didn't have ten years left on the planet. They had three. Max. Three years before the sun would explode. Already the sun had devoured the first planet in the solar system. Climbing slowly out of his depression as panic ripped apart Jack's apathy, Jack began cataloging how much they had. Fortunately, several items had been already packed away in the hand-held devices before the Frostfall clan had fallen. Libraries in a blue lidded storage capsule, plant life (seeds, dirt, growth potions) were in green lidded ones, weapons in red lidded containers, artifacts in the purple colored machines, food ready to eat in the yellow lidded storage containers and so on. Based on the number of food capsules, the computer calculated that Jack would be set for at least four years. However, Aloe could not digest harder foods yet. And while they had enough soft food for only a year, who knows how long it would take to get to another life-bearing planet. Now that Aloe was no longer drinking formula, he had a couple of years before he was ready to eat 'just anything' as their uncle had once described the food rations. And that wasn't including the 'picky' years mothers sometimes complained about.

Jack was once again typing at the computer, this time looking for a suitable planet. An adult Pooka, armed with a powerful source of 'light' could use any planet to make it into a life-bearing one, but Jack didn't know how the adults did it. Jack and Aloe had one shot to make it to a planet of their choice that already had life growing on it with the proper conditions.

/

Jack was almost ready to pull his fur out in frustration by the time (a few months later) that Jack finally found the perfect planet. He entered the coordinates into the escape-ship's computer and wrote them on an extra map, just in case.

It took about a week to pack all the 'hundreds' of containers into the mini-storage area built into the escape-ship. Most ended up outside the storage area in the egg-shaped cockpit. The last things gathered were a copied disk of the spaceship's computer info and the larger spaceship's remaining stardust fuel in a specialized container. Jack had yet to bring himself to watch his family's massacure. He didn't want to, but it was part of his and Aloe's history.

Jack's eyes widened in disbelief as the computer had new results for one last search for other Pookas. There was a blip of a signal of a single Pooka on the planet Jack had already decided on. At first Jack thought he had stumbled in shock, but then the entire ship rattled, alarms coming to life. The sun had devoured the second planet in the solar system!

Pookan instruments were very accurate and the scanners were reading that those previously estimated three years had dropped down to one. This planet was the fifth and last in the solar system, but it was being dragged closer by the sun's increasingly stronger gravitational pull.

Counting his blessings, Jack buckled Aloe into the passenger seat. He didn't want to be anywhere close by when the sun either blew up or collapsed, condensed, and became a black hole. The spaceship shuddered again as Jack extended the launch pad, closing the hatches tightly.

"Ready Aloe?" the infant giggled as Jack continued, paw twitching on the thrust lever, "In three... two... one... Launch! Outer Space here we come." The escape-ship shivered as its disused, but recently cleaned engines roared to life.


	3. The Sun's Demise

Secretly Pooka

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians

Author's notes: Thank you Cat Girl 1995 for reminding me to explain why Rhododendron Thistle Frostfall is called Jack.

The meeting between Jack and Aster is going to be a while in the future. The beginning seems to be growing slowly. The 'action' is slow to come it seems.

And underlining Pookan words was beginning to irritate me so I bolded the words instead.

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Chapter 3: The Sun's Demise

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The jump out of the atmosphere of the soon to be destroyed unnamed planet was more than rough, but Jack found it thrillingly relieving. Aloe did not. Finding it hard to calm his brother from the drivers, seat, Jack put the escape-ship into auto pilot as soon as he could, springing out of his seat to comfort his brother, **"Shh, Aloe it's okay. Just a little bumpy ride, that's all. See, everything's smooth up here."** Jack cooed as he rubbed circles on Aloe's back. Hearing his caretaker's pumping heart did a lot to soothe Aloe's ruffled nerves.

In the first couple of weeks Jack wouldn't have known what to do to calm Aloe down, but he quickly picked up some tricks that did the job. (It also helped that there was a "Guide to Kits" in the library, more specifically in the mechanic section, which was odd to Jack's mind. Kit's weren't built like engines or machines... were they? But then how did they get in their mother's stomach? Anyway it wasn't an important question to Jack, quickly forgetting his previous queries as he read the section for more tricks to either calm kits down or put them to sleep faster).

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While the stardust fuel made the escape-ship fly super fast, fast to the point where their journey to the new planet would only take months instead of years and years, that was still months stuck in a tiny tuna can. It was a foregone conclusion that Jack would get bored, let alone Aloe. So Jack came up with games and stories when Aloe looked like he was going to fuss over the limited space to run around in.

**"Hey, hey don't cry... I've got a story from mom about our names." **As Aloe peered inquisitively up at Jack, Jack gently rocked the younger kit,** "So...**

** "It was a tradition in Jack's mother's maiden clan to give their child a dual flower based name with meaning from the impressions they received. The first name was from feelings before the child was even 'made' and the second name was from the emotional impressions while the kit was in the womb. From the plentiful options available, Jack's mother picked his name to be Rhododendron for forewarning feelings of caution, beware and Thistle for the impressions of pain, protection and pride. **

** In a planet a few solar systems away from Gallifrey, there was a planet known as Schtroumpf. On that planet there lived different species and one of those species was known as Jackalopes. Almost immediately after watching the antlered rabbits for the first time, Rhododendron Thistle Frostfall went around to each of his family members and insisted his name was now Jack. He went as far as to debate with the elders that Jack was easier to say than Rhododendron each time they wanted his attention. The nickname stuck."**

Aloe brightened as Jack revealed a rediscovered stuffed toy. It was a well-loved jackalope. Aloe stretched out his arms for the plushy animal. Jack smiled and continued the story as Aloe babbled happily.

** "Already knowing what Jack's mother wanted to name his next sibling (if the baby was male) due to the earlier explained tradition, Rhododendron named the stuffed toy Jack-Aloe, vowing to share his beloved toy with his future baby brother. But it was still Jack's first, Rhododendron explained seriously to his amused mother.**

** But then the Fearling War started and Aloe was the only baby born in the clan after the war started.**

** You were named Aloe Pine for the symbolic meanings of first: healing, protection, grief, bitterness, and affection. For your second name, pine was equated to creativity, life, and longevity. You were the clan's hope to survive the war based on mom's impressions. Long life is hard to have when you're no longer alive. **

**...And I guess that's the end because you are asleep.**" Placing the toy in Aloe's lax arms, Jack choked as he realized the Jackalopes were in all likelihood now gone and wiped out. After all, they weren't as advanced as the Pooka, mainly remaining on their home world. That home world was no longer intact.

/

Now that Aloe was asleep, Jack brooded on the fact that the other Pooka had yet to show up on the scanner again. Jack had set up the computer in the cockpit to automatically scan Earth for a Pookan signature once every earth day. (Since the scanners were specifically targeting Earth for information anyway and not the rest of the universe, the search results came back quicker than they had before- about once an Earth day.) _Was the possibility of the other Pooka real? If he/ she was real, how were Jack and Aloe going to find him or her? What if he or she didn't want Jack or Aloe? And why weren't the scanner's finding him or her?_ Jack paced, fretting anxiety into the floor boards. Or ceiling boards, it didn't matter.

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Several weeks of 'days', periods of waking and sleeping, later, Jack hit the record button as he watched the destruction behind him with wide eyes. The unnamed planet's sun had finally exploded. Already massive before it even began to devour the closest planets, it had expanded slowly before gaining speed. Then, as Jack watched, Aloe playing with Jack-Aloe, it must have run out of fuel. The sun's core collapsed, setting off a series of nuclear reactions that created an enormous, incandescent, superheated shock wave that pretty much destroyed that galaxy in a blink of time. Jack swallowed, aware that had he been in anything other than his star-powered Pookan spacecraft, the brothers would have become part of the light show. Even at this distance Jack and Aloe would have been blinded by the supernova's brilliance, had not the escape-ship been built by the Pooka. Pookan inventions were automatically built to withstand exceedingly bright lights, as their greatest weapons were made of the raw 'Light' of the Universe.

Subdued by awe, Jack passed the time in between distractions for Aloe watching it, eventually realizing that he was attending the creation of a neutron star.

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"**Ak-Ao.**" Jack stirred slowly awake as Aloe nudged him, sounds added, "**Ak-Ao,**"

Wait a minute, Jack blinked his blue eyes open, "**What was that?**"

"**Ak-Ao!**" Aloe shook the ragged Jackalope toy, unintentionally battering it into Jack's face.

Jack gaped, "**You can talk!**" he blurted in amazement, excitement growing. While Aloe wouldn't be an understandable conversationalist for a while yet, at least it wouldn't seem like Jack was only talking to himself a lot. "**You're first word!**" Jack cheered, laughing as he picked Aloe up and whirled him around. Before Aloe could become scared, Jack settled down with Aloe in his lap. Tasting the words on his tongue, Jack memorized the sounds, repeating Aloe's first word, "**Ak-Ao. Ak-Ao... what does that mean?**" Jack was whacked with the stuffed toy again, "**Oh! It's Jack-Aloe. Awesome, little brother! Can you say it again?**" Jack was thrilled when Aloe babbled the word repeatedly.

The next several 'days' when they weren't eating or sleeping, Jack emphasized activities with picture books and word practice. Jack's face would beam in pride and delight as Aloe's vocabulary expanded word by word.

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Within a small thimble of a spaceship, Jack moaned as Aloe once again jostled him awake. "**Ack! Ack! Hungey!**"

"**Can't you get your own food yet?**" Jack grumbled as he sat up in the makeshift nest, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"**Ack! Hungey!**" Aloe whimpered with a hooting cry.

"**Alright, alright already! Just stop!**" Jack stumbled out of bed, hand outstretched for the yellow colored storage capsule for the ready-to-eat 'soft' food. Jack was beginning to allow Aloe some harder foods, keeping a hawk eye out for any signs of Aloe choking. It was times like these where Jack felt the strongest connection to his mother. There was a hollow hole in his heart where Jack hid his longing for his mother, knowing that until they met in the afterlife, Jack would never have a hug from his mom again. It was one of the reasons Jack desperately hoped the hidden Pooka would accept the two boys, wanting a Pookan hug from an older friend or family member again. To be a kit without parental responsibilities.

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Jack's ears lowered in fright as the escape-ship brushed by space debris way too close for comfort. Jack knew very little about how to maintain the spacecraft beyond basic computer skills and fueling (when they were on a surface; out in space was a whole new ballgame). Getting the spaceship damaged or 'injured' was the last thing Jack wanted. Before going to sleep in the cryogenic tubes, Jack had only begun to be allowed in the piloting simulator on beginner settings. Taking control away from the computer with Jack's novice piloting skills, would only get them killed. So Jack clung to Aloe tighter like Jack had once held onto the stuffed toy in Aloe's sleeping arms, not daring to look away from the outside windows. He hummed a lullaby to sooth his nerves as the spacecraft passed by more large space 'junk', flinching each time they came close to crashing or being scratched.

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Jack made a little celebration dance when the two Pooka's entered the Milky Way galaxy. He laughed cheerfully in amusement as Aloe tried to imitate his movements.

"**We'll be at our new home soon!**" Jack grinned as he hopped and twisted in the air, crashing into the ceiling with his aerobic maneuvers.

"**Home?**" Aloe tilted his head.

"**Yeah! Well... home is where family is, but where we are going, there are plenty of outside, outdoor places to run free! No longer living in such tight quarters all the time!**"

"**Outide?**"

"**Outside,**" Jack automatically corrected before continuing, gesturing his arms exuberantly, "**Well the natives would probably not understand us, us being Pookas, but there is more places in the 'wilds' where 'humans' don't live than cities or towns.**"

"**Outide,**" Aloe nodded, "**Home?**"

"**Our new home.**" Jack agreed, chattering on about the facts he had learned from the Pookan computer, "**Earth the third planet from the sun in its solar system. It has one satellite known as the Moon. Humans alternate beliefs between the planet being one of many systems in the Universe and that it was the center of the universe. That would be interesting to see. The computer calculated that the Earth, supposedly named such by a northern group of humans on that continent," **Jack pointed to Europe on a pulled up map, **"And that continent is known as Europe! Well, in English anyway. I'm not sure if it is the same name everywhere. But it seems to be a similar name everywhere, so I'm not sure if that group really came up with the idea to name their planet a synonym to dirt. Anyway, the computer calculated that seventy one percent of Earth is water! And twenty-nine percent is land! And of all that water, only three percent of the Earth is fresh water, most of it or a little more than two percent is locked away in ice water. Also known as snow, glaciers, and frozen drinkable liquid. Less than one percent of fresh water is actually available for the flora and fawna that use it! And then there are creatures that live in 'salt' water like dolphins...**" If any adult had been nearby, they would have been looking for the source of any sugar that Jack could have eaten.

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Jack cheered as Earth appeared in the far distance from the view of the cockpit. Soon Jack and Aloe would be free to explore and mix with the natives. Jack had been studying up on the only verbal species (and a few other non-verbal species for fun or out of fascination). He was grateful that within the Frostfall artifacts that there was a single working galactic translating device. Jack would at least be able to speak a few sentences per language (and hadn't that been interesting! One species with multiple patterns of communication. That certainly was unusual).

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It wasn't until that Jack and Aloe's escape-ship drew closer to Earth that Jack realized that the satellite around Earth wasn't naturally made at all. From his studies, Jack knew the humans hadn't built it, so... Jack typed in a program to scan the Moon.

Jack was surprised to discover that part of the Moon wasn't the natural rock of the Moon at all. Instead, it was a Lunaroff ship named the Moon Clipper that had somehow become part of Earth's satellite. He was still wary however. With as much time that had passed since the Golden Age, things might have changed. Despite the Moon reflecting the local sun's light back to Earth, there could be shadows lurking in the corners. The Lunaroffs had been the some of leaders of the Golden Age and Pitch had targeted their son. Jack didn't have much time to think it over as a bright beam of light covered and caught the escape-ship, pulling it into the Moon's zone of gravity.

Jack hadn't panicked, but he was still very nervous as a previously unseen docking bay opened its mouth, dragging the escape-ship within. Unsure of their welcome or capture, Jack quickly hid his sleepy brother under some blankets in the small nest and grabbed the red storage capsule, selecting a rather bland-looking steel rod from the supply of weapons.

With the push of a button, the steel rod became a metal pole capable of fending off enemies. Despite its unsharpened appearance, it was Jack's most highly favored weapon, as it could become a spear if truly needed. While Jack wasn't bad with a sword, staffs gave him the most comfort as he was even better at fighting with the long reach of a spear. The war of the Nightmare king had speeded up when a young Pookan kit could learn to fight in the Frostfall clan. Jack had spent the equivalent of many earth years mastering the use of his favored weapon after learning how defend himself with Pookan martial arts. Speaking of which, Jack would need to start teaching Aloe soon.

_Ok, he was rambling._ Jack took deep breaths to tuck away his fright. The Pookan spacecraft had landed, the docking bay closing. _That wasn't comforting._ A thought occurred to Jack as he heard the pressurizing outside air adjusting and scrambled for the breathers. Even if they wouldn't be exposed to Outer Space temperature, pressure or lack of air, it wasn't a guaranty that they wouldn't be poisoned. Jack swiftly but gently tied a breather over Aloe's mouth before recovering his baby brother's presence up. As he tied another breather over his own mouth, Jack heard something on the exterior tapping the walls of the Pookan spaceship. Jack stiffened, quickly facing the doors in a warrior's pose. Knees and elbows bent, staff held at attention, waiting.

It wasn't long before Jack watched the tightened Pookan door handle to the outside loosen and twist.


	4. Moon Landing

Secretly Pooka

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or Gallifrey (Very little is mentioned, but just in case)

Author's note: Sorry for the mean cliffhanger last chapter. Manny was hardly at all mentioned in my last story, The New Tribe. He ended up insisting taking a part in this story. The Lunaroff language is underlined and Old Galacian is italicized and underlined. (On a word doc it was different/ not the Times New Roman font and specifically harder to read).

The word count in this chapter doubled the story word count.

9-6-2014 An unpublished update but my languages (Lunaroff and old galactican) are fixed. Mim's personality is odd (not canon) but I'll post the reason why next chapter.

9-8-2014 The destruction of the Frostfall clan scene is now included (it didn't want to be written before)

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Chapter 4: Moon Landing

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Jack blinked as the door to his spacecraft opened. There was what looked like a machine with an expression of curiosity, before the lower part of its face opened.

"Are you friend or foe? What language do you speak?"

"**Err...**" Jack wasn't sure what the robot had asked. Was that what the Lunaroffs spoke? It wasn't attacking yet, so... "**Hi. Or is it**, Hello?" Jack wasn't sure if he had pronounced the simple word right. Lunaroff was unfortunately not one of the 'stored' languages in the galactic translator. And it had been a long time since Jack had language lessons except for his self-taught human language phrases. The galactic translator was just that, a translator and not a language learner. There had been (nearly instant) language learners, but not only were the ones that Jack had had broken over time, Jack didn't know how to make it work.

"Hello. Are you friend or foe?"

Jack guessed the robot was asking if he was an enemy and hoped he was saying the right word, "Friend?" At his limit of Lunaroff words, Jack tried to change the language, "**Do you know Pookan? **_Or even old Galactican?"_

"_This unit speaks old Galactican. Are you friend or foe? Data collected says you are eighty percent chance not an enemy."_

Jack sighed in relief. At least Jack knew the old intergalactic language of the Golden Age. And... "_Not enemy unless you work for Shadow King_."

The robot visibly recoiled, hissing, "_Never work for Shadow King. This unit is called a Moonbot. What is your term of species?"_

A new voice interrupted the conversation between the Moonbot and Jack, "Is it? It is! You appear to be a Pooka!" At the sound of the voice speaking the newer version of Galactican, the Moonbot retreated a few steps.

"Um... Yes I'm a Pooka." Jack admitted cautiously, but omitted his name. After all he had yet to see the owner of the voice.

"Splendid!" And then Jack was twitching, frozen in a daze as an exuberantly eccentric Lunaroff barged or more aptly bounced into the escape-ship and was enthusiastically shaking Jack's paw, ignoring the potential weapon.

"Welcome! Welcome! What's wrong? Moonbot did I break him? I am, concerned!" Yet, the Lunaroff sounded ridiculously unconcerned while trying to get a response from Jack as he pulled the confused young Pooka out of the spacecraft into the Moon Clipper.

"Perhaps proper protocol was not in correct order." The Moonbot sounded faintly chastising.

"Oh! Forgive me young Pooka." At least this time the Lunaroff sounded like he did remotely understand the named emotion, "My name of address is Tsar Lunar. Also called Manny or Mim by my Guardian friends! What is your preferred title of address?"

"...Jack." The young Pooka glanced anxiously back at his safe haven from strangers, already overwhelmed,

"Well Jack do you mean the residents of the Earth any harm?"

"No reason I should, but why do you care?"

"Toot, Toot! I am the First Guardian, Protector of children and their childhood!"

"Is Pitch Black gone then?" Jack asked tentatively, hoping that the former general was no longer around but his hopes were dashed.

In their brief moments of acquaintance, Jack could already tell that the face of seriousness was rather unnatural for the short portly Lunar, "Unfortunately not." The man whispered, pained, "My friend, Nightlight kept Pitch trapped for ages. Until an exploring moonbeam accidentally reawakened them."

Jack could scarcely breath as he listened to Lunar, who had trailed off, "And then?" Jack prompted, "Is Pitch on Earth?"

"Pitch was weakened to the point where he cannot leave Earth. The Guardians make sure of that. He still spreads nightmares, but he no longer kills. He's tried, but the other Guardians have stopped him."

"And what about Nightlight?"

"Ah. He grew up and married Katherine, Mother Goose." A smile grew on Lunar's face, "I'm telling a story aren't I?" Tsar marveled. He had never really been able to tell other children stories before. Lunar didn't ever leave the Moon except on Lunar Moths to see his parents' constellation better. Except for the Guardians, he never really had many visitors at the same time. Hardly any visitors at all really, so it was always a delight to make another friend in the once-a-millennium friendly traveler.

Jack nodded, taking off the breather once he realized he didn't need it, "Could... could I hear more?"

"I wish you would. Come, it is more comfortable inside." Tsar was back to his normally overly cheerful self, "You have stories too yes?"

Jack hesitated, "Yes, but just a moment," ducking out of Lunar's escorting half-hug, running backing into the Pookan spaceship.

Tsar watched puzzled as Jack came out with a bunch of blankets in hand. Quiet awe filled Manny with the utmost happy glee when he watched a lazy ear lift from the bundle, "A Pookan babe!" He whispered.

Jack nodded proudly, "Aloe is going to be two soon. He's already picking up words." Jack's steps bounced slightly in excitement, "He'll wake up soon."

"How old are you?" Tsar inquired as they walked towards a set of doors.

"I'm almost twelve in Pookan years."

"So brave when so young," Tsar gasped, "It's been a long time since I was twelve. The Moonbots, Glowworms, and Moonmice raised me since I was around Aloe's age."

"Really?" Jack asked in surprise as two Moonbots opened the doors for them.

"Oh, yes. My parents, Tsar and Tsarina Lunar sent me away with Nightlight while they fought Pitch..." As the Tsar and the two young Pooka's walked along a corridor, more and more cute little glowing green worms with sailor hats and teddy bear sized mice dressed in naval uniforms were beginning to follow after them, sending curious looks at Jack and Aloe.

"...these are some of the Glowworms and Moonmice who grew up with me. Others have moved on to the afterlife and more have been born since then..." Manny eventually explained after a couple of stories about his childhood. He hadn't picked up any of the social cues of impatient curiosity from Jack beforehand.

"Finally." Jack muttered before speaking up, "What do they do exactly? I mean the glowworms are obviously glowing but do the Glowworms and Moonmice help you with your 'Guardian' work?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, they're my friends! I'm surprised they haven't started talking yet."

"According to proper protocol friends Glowworms and Moonmice were waiting to be introduced." The almost-stuffy Protocol Moonbot was back. Jack thought 'almost-stuffy' because the robot seemed to have issues with making a proper serious or bland face now that they were inside the other part of the Moon Clipper. The robot seemed to have too much emotion and didn't know how to correctly express which feelings beyond confused and happy.

"Ah. Sorry for not introducing you sooner friends!" Speaking of mismatching words and emotions, Tsar apologized to everyone with a beaming smile, "Jack that is Moonbot designation 2462. Most Moonbots help run or fix the ship. Others are my teachers! I've never had a student before... does telling stories count as being a teacher Moonbot 2462?"

"The definition of a teacher is one who teaches or instructs. The dictionary did not include or indicate that teaching is only a particular profession's skill set or subject matter. So Tsar is correct."

"Yay!" Lunar cheered like a child receiving an ice cream cone treat in the middle of summer, "I got it right!" He certainly acted like no other person Jack had ever met.

Adding 'easily distracted' to the list of descriptions for Tsar Lunar that Jack was making in his mind, seeing that Tsar was now conversing with the almost-stuffy Moonbot, designation 2462, Jack knelt down and addressed the short peoples. "Hello, Can you talk?"

Almost syncronized, the Glowworms greeted him with a 'hum'.

"They don't have the vocal chords to speak Galactician. Or any other language really. They just speak in 'hums'." One teddy-bear-like mouse explained. "It's nice to meet you Jack. I am one of the younger Moonmice. I am called Amber. We help Lunar with the wishes and hopes of children. He and the Moonbots watch over children's dreams as well."

"How do you do that?" Jack tilted his head in interest.

"Well... it's a secret." Another teddy-bear-like mouse teased in a whisper.

"No it's not." The first Moonmouse, Amber, scoffed, "Pardon my twin, Andrew. It's quite simple really. Moonbeams keep watch out for our surroundings up here on the moon and down on Earth. Lunar and the Moonbots keep watch out for the dangers that attack children like Pitch although he hasn't been seen in a while. The Glowworms keep the Moon well lit and defended. And the Moonmice read and record the wishes of children from lost balloons and the like."

"I think I won' t be able to understand completely until I see you do it." Jack admitted, sneaking a peek at Manny. He was still occupied with the almost-stuffy Moonbot, "Can I watch?"

"We should wait for Manny." Andrew hesitated.

"Naw." Amber's brown eyes gleamed, "Why should we wait? His workshop's open. It's not like we'll be messing it up. We'll just be doing our jobs."

"Cool." Jack let himself be led out of the current room, down another hallway and into... "Wow," Jack breathed in awe, "This is what Manny sees when he's watching kids?"

Inside the large brass double doors, balloons filled the air while lost toys and rain-stained books littered the ground, Moonmice clearing a path with snow shovels or dancing on the balloons, barely losing any altitude. Moonbots were watching various screens and places of Earth for any sign of trouble. There was what looked like telescopes scattered around in various precarious positions and a giant flashlight dangling from the ceiling.

"Not quite." Amber explained running to the center of the room onto a round dais, "Manny usually stands here either looking like this." One of Amber's feet were half raised, both hands looking like they were directing opposing orchestras. Jack laughed. Encouraged, Amber changed position, "Or like this!" Now the Moonmouse was in an acrobatic position, twirling on a hand upside down. From what he had seen so far, Moonmice understood emotions a lot better than the Moon's other residents.

If Jack hadn't been holding Aloe, he would have applauded or even tried to imitate Amber's smooth motion. As it was, Jack was holding Aloe and glanced down to share his excitement. But while Aloe was still resting, Jack could tell that Aloe would soon be awake by the tell-tale sign of Aloe's arms swinging about. Spending so much time together in the limited space available in the escape-ship, Jack had certainly become aware of Aloe's infant quirks.

Jack preferred being awoken up by words or a hungry Aloe. But occasionally, Aloe's arms would start swinging. Aloe had surprisingly good strength and aim for punches thrown in the babe's sleep.

"I'd love to watch more, but Aloe's waking up. Is there somewhere we can play that's infant proof?"

"Not really." Andrew shrugged, "But just in case, we should choose another room... Like the couch room."

"Aloe's waking up?" Amber squealed as she hurried over, not minding the interruption at all, "He's so cute! Can I help feed him?"

"He actually is eating on his own but you can help me size down the fruit for him." Jack explained as he dodged a flailing limb and sleepy mutters.

"I'd be happy to help. Andrew would too although he's not saying anything." Amber skipped next to Jack while Andrew led the way to a third room.

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Interrupting their play, although Lunar didn't seem to notice that he was standing on the fallen castle of couch cushions. With Manny, things could have gone either way. Either way being joining in the playground or doing what he was doing now with the adult tone of voice he was using, "So where are you from Jack?"

Jack wouldn't have admitted that he whined with Aloe and the other young Moonmice, Glowworms, and the young Lunar Moths that had been introduced shortly after the game had begun when the 'castle' of blankets, chairs, and cushions tumbled down. The Moonmice and Lunar Moths were a couple sizes larger than Aloe, while the Glowworms were slightly smaller than Aloe. Oblivious, Manny stood on an overturned chair. "Mannnny! We were having fun!"

Manny blinked and only now noticed the destruction he had caused, "Oh dear, forgive me my intrusion."

"Maybe." Jack folded his arms, raising an eyebrow, "But the castle was built so awesomely and you crashed it!" Many pairs of eyes were gazing at Manny in sadness or disappointment. Lunar gulped. He really didn't want them to be upset...!

"May I offer my apologizes with chocolate milk?" Tsar remembered watching a mother do something of the sort and hoped it worked. It did.

"Chocolate?!" Jack perked up before deflating, "Can I? But what about the side-effects?"

"What side-effects?" It occurred then to Lunar that Bunny used chocolate in battle, "Is it anything like six arms or increased size?"

"Naw. I'm not old enough. Or I am but I'm not my age?" Jack trailed off questioning, "Wait, how did you know that if you weren't old enough to fight in the Fearling Wars?"

"You weren't old enough either!" Tsar automatically accused, pausing, "You were around then?"

"Uh huh. Did you see an adult Pooka in action then?"

"Yep. One E. Aster Bunnymund."

"When? When did you see him?" Jack demanded eagerly, bouncing a little.

"...It's been a long time Jack." Tsar finally answered.

Jack sighed mournfully, "Is he gone then? Aloe and me slept long enough that we're the last ones left?" His voice trembled, tears beginning to pool in bright blue eyes.

"What?! No! He's the Easter Bunny." Tsar really didn't want those tears to form and fall. It was... odd how old and yet young Jack and his little brother made Lunar feel. Manny certainly hadn't had so much direct interaction with other children before. Hmm...

Jack crinkled his nose, tilting his head, voicing slightly in interest, "The Easter Bunny?"

"He's the Guardian of Hope like I am the Guardian of Wishes." Manny explained,

"But why did the scanners only pick up a faint signature, Once! In all the times I looked!" Jack pleaded, "Did he reappear and then die cause he was lonely? Like a phoenix?"

"Oh dear. No, he's still alive. He's just hidden in his well-protected home. He appears once a year for Easter, a holiday to celebrate new life, rebirth and resurrection."

"Certainly sounds like a phoenix," Jack grumbled, glaring suspiciously, "You sure he didn't get stuck as one? Cause mom told me a story about a Pooka getting stuck in the form of a phoenix."

Chuckling at the thought and Jack's indignation, Manny chortled, "Bunnymund a phoenix? No he's a Pooka through and through. Although... there is a certain resemblance to the Australian Kangaroo."

"A kangaroo? Never mind I'll find out later. What about that chocolate?"

"Err." Manny looked like a startled deer. It wouldn't be polite if he retracted his earlier offer, would it?

"I'm just teasing... mostly."

Manny comically sighed in relief, "Is there something else I could get for you?"

"Actually," Jack mused, "Do you have any garlic and parsley flavored mashed potatoes? I like the taste and Aloe can digest them."

"I think one of the Moonbots can whip some up." Tsar bounced with them to the kitchens,

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"How did you survive this long?" Tsar asked Jack again while they sat on the dining room table built to cater to Lunar's army sized Moon friends/ family, "Were you sent to the future?"

Airplane-ing a spoonful of taters into Aloe's mouth, Jack replied distractedly, "No, we were in newly redesigned system of cryogenic chambers." Jack handed the spoon to Aloe, turning to his own food. "I woke up a couple of Earth years or Pookan months ago or something like that. The fearlings must have found the others. I haven't-" Jack's choked a little on tears and a bite of asparagus. Andrew, who was sitting on the other side of Jack tried to pound the young Pooka's back until Jack swallowed. Jack nodded his thanks and reached for water. Jack began playing with his food, losing interest in one of his favorite meals, "I haven't watched what happened yet, but I know they... were likely killed and the power and food reserves would have automatically diverted to those still alive in the tubes. It would explain why we weren't woken up sooner. We'd be dead now if we hadn't run out of baby food." Jack swallowed pushing away his plate, "The planet we woke up on... it's sun exploded not all that long after we left the planet."

"Jack, are you okay?" Amber asked.

Jack swayed, "I'm fine... It's just the lack of baby food saved our lives." Jack was paling further under his fur, "And, and..." Jack hiccuped, vision becoming a little dizzy, "Can we stop talking about this?" he asked weakly.

"Yes." Amber replied immediately when the other males took a moment to respond. Scooping Aloe up and placed the baby Pooka in his older brother's arms, standing on her tip-toes and rubbing Jack's back, "You're going through some post-delayed shock. Match your breathing with mine. In and Out. In and Out." The older twin of the two Moonmice soothed Jack to a more calm level.

Andrew gently tickled Aloe's feet causing a chain reaction. Aloe giggled, smiling happily, which caused Jack to cheer up too.

"I'm done with my food. Can we go play now?" Jack asked Tsar for permission, who grinned,

"Certainly. Can I join in? I can be the dragon armed with bouncy balls instead of flames! Raw!"

"Teehee." The Moonmice laughed.

"Ha ha! And I will be the knight!"

"And Aloe can be the Prince!" Amber cheered as the armies of playtime ran after them.

"Aww, but I wanted to be the Prince." Andrew pouted, straitening his navy cap.

"Why don't you be the King instead?" Jack suggested,

"Yes! I'll be the King of the Couches!" Andrew cheered as he bounced onto the Sofa. It was surprisingly bouncy, but Andrew seemed to already be aware of that, rolling in the air as he bounced on the next couch.

"Does someone have a potato chip?" Amber called out to the other Moon inhabitants coming in from the meal.

"Yeah, why?" One of the Lunar Moths had a handful of partially eaten baked potato chips.

"So I can call Andrew a lazy couch potato." Amber cheerfully replied.

"Hey! At least call me an aerobic couch potato! Actually, scratch that, I don't even like potatoes!" Andrew protested.

"Huh. More for me then." The Lunar Moth shrugged and continued eating.

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After Aloe took a nap, Jack asked Manny if he knew what has happened to the Pookan homeworld.

"As you know, the purpose of the Pooka was to defend and protect the time line. But after the Pooka's were massacred and the world nearly dead, another race came to live on Gallifrey. The Time Lords. They were another race with an affinity for handling time. Driven from their original home, they settled on Gallifrey because it shimmered with time dust was how my last visitor described it."

"So why is the planet gone?"

"There was another war and save for one survivor that up and goes to protect the time line as much as he can, his people and the planet were also destroyed."

"Oh." There wasn't much Jack could respond to that besides a thrum of sympathy. Jack was fortunate enough to have Aloe, but the last survivor from Gallifrey didn't have any family left.

After a long moment of quiet, Tsar eyed Jack, thinking about something, "Jack, I wish to make a deal with you."

"What kind of trade?"

"Good question. My family's trade was repairing things!" That... Jack hadn't known.

"Not that kind of trade, but that would help."

"With what? Your ship didn't appear to be broken." Tsar questioned.

"I've got family artifacts from the Golden Age and a lot of them are broken."

Tsar thought and thought... from upside down on the chandelier, finally admitting, "I couldn't repair Pookan weapons, but I can repair anything else. Plus if I can't then Bunnymund can."

"If you could repair them, what do you want in exchange?" Jack was honestly curious. _It seemed like Manny had everything he wanted on the Moon from a kid's perspective. Then again, Manny seemed the type of person to want something random like Earth rocks._

Startling Jack, who hadn't realized he spoke his thoughts out loud, Manny replied, "That's exactly what the Guardians need! Kid perspective!" And Tsar was gone, scribbling away on Moonbot provided paper.

"Manny?" Jack asked warily,

"Hmm? Hey Jack are you a good storyteller?" Lunar asked distractedly.

"I'm pretty good, why?"

"I need a storyteller on Earth." Tsar ripped a piece of aggravating paper, not facing Jack.

"What about Katherine aka Mother Goose or Nightlight?"

"Katherine and Nightlight moved on together some time ago. Their legacy lives on, Katherine's through Nursery Rhymes and Nightlight's with night lights. Nightlight wasn't much of a talker anyway. But in order for the Guardians to get more or stronger believers in order to fight Pitch more effectively next time they fight, new and old stories need to be told." Manny rambled on, talking more to himself than Jack.

Intrigued Jack asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Toot Toot!" Manny jumped, "I apologize, I forgot your presence." By now Jack was used to Manny's mixed matched tone and emotions. Tsar really was forgetful. Guess that's what happens when you get old.

Jack poked Manny's arm to get him to respond as he had trailed off once again,

A Moonbot jogged up to them saying monotonously, "Pitch has been sighted."

"Lead the way Moonbot 784!" Manny dashed away. Jack assumed Tsar was heading for his workshop and followed, leaving Aloe snoozing away in Amber and Andrew's care.

/

Pitch had slipped away before Manny arrived. He wasn't very solid currently and the sun had chased him away from spreading too many nightmares.

Tsar sighed as he lowered his guard after several moments of searching.

"Manny?" Jack asked softly from behind him. Tsar looked _old_ when he sighed.

"Hmm?"

"What would being your storyteller mean?" Jack asked.

Tsar brightened, "Traveling and telling stories. Since you are a Pooka you'd live a long time, looking the same age-ish, but we'd need to disguise your normal appearance."

"I've got some shape-shifting crystals." Jack offered.

"That would work. We'd also have to hide you from Pitch. Oh. I've got a magical shielding cloak, but..."

"What's wrong?" Jack asked when Manny hesitated, something heavy dropping in Jacks stomach, "Are there fearlings still hunting the Pooka?"

Manny shook his head, "The last of the fearlings were destroyed by Aster and the other Guardians long ago. But..." Manny sighed for a second time, seeming more ancient than before, "The best way to ensure Aloe's and your safety would be to not tell the Guardians. Pitch has spies in the shadows of their homes with the exception of Sanderson's and Bunnymund's. However, Sanderson is rarely home and it would be hard to travel to and from there without attracting unwanted attention. But if Aster knew there was two young Pookas, it's likely he'd almost never let them leave the Warren. And when you did leave, there are plenty of shadows in Bunnymund's tunnels watching to alert Pitch."

"So if I chose to be your new storyteller... I wouldn't be able to approach Bunnymund?" Jack stumbled back. To come so close... Jack could chose not to become Manny's storyteller... but that didn't seem right. Already Jack had the feeling that this was something he would like to do.

Manny sighed regretfully, "Not as another Pooka, no. And it's not likely he'll let you catch sight of him as a mortal. And being an immortal would open a whole new bag of troubles. For one you wouldn't be able to tell stories without believers. And two with believers, you would have unwanted attention from the other immortals. It wouldn't be forever. Just until a mortal storyteller isn't needed as much anymore."

"I need... I need some time before I finalize a decision." Jack rubbed an ear, troubled.

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Back in the Pookan spaceship, the door almost closed, Jack trembled as he played with a disk of information, anxiously rubbing his ear. Gathering his courage, Jack took a deep breath and inserted the copied information, knowing that he would never really be the same afterwards. His father had always said that death changed you when Jack asked about soldiers or later, why Pitch became Pitch.

At first the 'film' recorded the Frostfall clan's take-off. Jack smiled slightly as he remembered each long-gone family member. 'Days' passed, but then... Jack stifled whimpers as the horror film from reality began.

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The attack had started in the 'night' rotation of the ship. Jack's mother was the first one to sound the alert, having noticed them on the radar. Those who were taking a rest outside of the tubes woke up almost immediately. On the radar, the numerous amount of fearlings didn't resister so much as individual 'blips' as a wave. The warriors inside of the tubes wouldn't be able to wake up fast enough to man the extra battle stations. The warriors that were awake blasted fearlings into smithereens. But there were just too many, even without the Fearling King there. Mom died first as the fearlings broke into the control room, exposing several Pooka's to the vacuum of Outer Space. Most Pooka's had tough enough skin to battle without atmosphere for a certain amount of time, but unfortunately, Jack's mother wasn't one of them. Six-armed chocolate was brought out and nearly half the 'wave' of fearlings were destroyed. The Pooka fought valiantly and decimated their enemies before the Pooka's began to be overrun. Frightened for their hidden loved ones, the fearlings eventually sniffed out the overall fear of the Frostfall clan and began hunting the helpless ones after mowing the remaining warriors down. Feeding off the fear of the helpless ones, the fearlings broke into the mostly hidden compartments. Then after nearly every soul the fearlings found had passed away, the fearlings drifted away and left the broken Pookan ship, spurred on by the dying survivor's weapon. Jack's father had managed to activate the remaining 'light' on Pookan Spaceship with his hope that some of their clan had and would survive. His father's last words were the Frostfall clan's war cry.

Jack coughed as his body reminded him to breathe, sobbing.

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Jack dry heaved over the disposal, tears raining down. When one wave stopped, another thought about his family caused another avalanche of bitter sadness. They were gone and for a while Jack wanted Pitch to feel his pain, but he couldn't hold his thoughts of revenge for longer than an hour. In some ways Jack wondered if his family would be disappointed that he just couldn't hold onto such angry thoughts. The answer came quite fiercely, the thought sounding like his mother after something that could have caused a childhood grudge. _Never. I will never be ashamed for your forgiving nature. For your forgiveness, I am proud of you. Remember that._ His mom's stories kept coming back to him, particularly the less comical version of the story where a Pooka had gotten stuck as a phoenix and felt the emotions of his perceived enemy, his brother's pain, anguish and regret before he finally forgave his brother. Neither party would have felt so angry or felt such bitter loss that had they set aside their pride and worked out an understanding between them. Revenge brought death to all, but forgiveness gave life and hope to the one who applied it. The one at fault or not at fault might never forgive or become good in turn and because of it, they would never be able to truly live.

Jack would become Manny's needed storyteller. For his fallen family as Jack could forgive, but never forget. If Jack could prevent the same ending to other families, to other children, he would do what was necessary. _Fight to Defend. Fight to Protect._ That was the chant of Frostfall clan warriors. Jack would become Manny's storyteller and teach his brother that the best retaliation was living on. They had survived and would not squander their gift of life so easily to their family's murderer.

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"I'll do it." Jack committed, "Until such time that a storyteller is no longer needed."

Sensing that Jack's heart was as true and pure and before, Tsar Lunar's face softened, "Thank you Jack." They shook hands.

"I'm going to need that cloak you were talking about. Otherwise Pitch will find me the first time I sleep on Earth," Jack said with determination, "Here are the artifacts that I have." Jack shook himself as he handed the storage capsule over, "How long do you need? Or how is it going to work?" Jack used his now empty hand to nervously rub his ear.

"Some of them will take longer than others. How long can the shape-shifting crystals hide your form? It's best if you are not seen as a Pooka at all. Mishaps are fine as long as no one immortal sees." Manny cautioned.

"Three to five non-renewable Earth decades maybe, each?" Jack's eyebrows bunched together as he figured out the math.

Manny held out a hand, "I can make them last about a century. And renewable. It won't take very long." Tsar assured Jack who nodded and handed three crystals over.

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About an Earth day later, Jack and Aloe hugged Manny as they reentered the Pookan spacecraft. Jack buckled Aloe into the passenger's seat. Cloaked with the promised magical coat, Jack temporarily exited the re-powered Pookan spacecraft (It could now had enough energy to remain disguised and temporarily repel Pitch [if the craft was noticed] for a couple of centuries).

"Here, these will be useful." Manny handed over the now renewable and re-enegized shape shifting crystals.

"Thank you, I appreciate it. But what about you?"

Tsar Lunar's face softened, "I'll be fine. The moonbeams can relay messages and small objects. You really are special Jack."

"Wait! Wait for us!" Two Moonmice charged into the hanger bay, little backpacks bouncing on their backs, tiny navel uniforms and hats fluttering with their speed.

"Amber! Andrew! You forgot to brush your teeth!" A mothering Moonmouse scolded, chasing after her children with a comb and toothpaste.

"We packed extra already!" Andrew exclaimed as the twins jumped and clung to Jack's legs.

"I know we forgot to ask, but can we come with you?" Amber begged of the taller individuals.

"Sure, but what about Manny?" Jack's hidden emotions relaxed their anxious hold on him. He would have someone, well two someones older than Aloe who would know the truth hidden during his mission.

"I have no problem with it." Manny chuckled, "I had a feeling you would." Manny knelt down on one knee and handed the Moonmice two mini crystals.

"Are these...?" Amber trailed off excitedly as she thanked Manny, putting the crystal on, ignoring her mother's hurried attempts to brush her hair.

"They are! Shape-shifting crystals for non-shape-shifters." Andrew touched the crystal in awe, "Thanks Manny!" Andrew let go of Jack's leg to hug Manny and then pulled his sister into a group hug with their mother.

"Bye Mom!" the twins chorused, Amber hurriedly hugging Manny too and then shaking Tsar's hand,

"We're off to have adventures with Jack!" Amber skipped to the Pookan spacecraft.

To tease them, Jack walked impossibly slow, "Jack!" the twins complained and Jack gave a bark of laughter, speeding up. The twins' mother pulled out and blew into an overly large handkerchief, cheering them on in between sniffles and proud tears. Manny and the other residents of the Moon: Moonbots, Lunar Moths, Moonmice, and Glowworms chuckled as well. (Actually the Glowworms 'hummed' in chorus again, but it counts).

/

The group of four waved from the cockpit as the hanger bay doors opened, "Bye Tsar! Hope to visit again someday." Jack's eyes sparkled with mischievous excitement.

"I wish you well." Manny waved as the Pookan escape-ship left the hanger, Outer Space's lack of air not really being a problem for Lunar or the other species that lived on the moon.


	5. Mission to Earth

Secretly Pooka

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or other works made into film. Or any references to words belonging to Shakespeare.

/

Author's Notes: I have updated languages from last chapter (they weren't supposed to be in times new roman).

Thank you to my reviewers, brittanyleewilton, painapple, cat girl 1995, story stalkers, snowing-in-the-springtime, random ging, jewel131415, skyefall o. bunnymund, kidamerica123, Luzith and Guest. Each review is exciting to receive.

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Thank you Painapple for the constructive criticism, I appreciate it. Working backward from your comments:

4. I haven't read the canon books yet, so I don't really know what Manny's personality is. I was working off of the information online about Mim. It doesn't really go into detail about what he was like. It just talks about his infanthood and a couple of pictures. So I mostly based him off of a don't-know-how-to-interact-with-kids-in-person Mr. Magorium because of the picture of Mim surrounded by balloons reminded me of the bouncing balls in Mr. Magorium's Wonderful Emporium. (If you haven't seen it, it's a kid's movie where the toy shop is alive... and acts like a little kid.)

3. I have noticed that I sometimes use passive voice instead of active or do twisty things with grammar to try and make my sentences have more flow. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. (It bugs my teachers occasionally too).

2. What type of details are too much?

1. I am rushing, but I also don't want to drop the story because I lost interest in getting the story where it needs to be. Jack originally in my outlines didn't take this long to get to Earth. Then again, Manny wasn't in my first or second outlines either.

I skipped the scene where the fearlings slaughter Jack's family because it didn't want to be written at that time. It should be there now.

Thank you again.

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Chapter five: Mission to Earth

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"You're going to want to buckle in." Jack warned the Moonmice.

Amber and Andrew nodded, finding restraints to tie themselves into as the group of four entered Earth's atmosphere. The Pookan escape-ship jolted, shaking slightly as Jack gritted his teeth while controlling their plunge at the correct angle. As long as the ship didn't land in the ocean, they would be fine, but just in case, Manny helped time it so Jack didn't land around Australia. However, had they known of Jack's closest neighbor when Jack landed, they would have preferred Australia. But Jack wouldn't know of his neighbor for centuries.

/

_Manny must have not mentioned a few magical modifications,_ Jack realized as, instead of landing with the working brakes the Pookan spacecraft started digging into the hillside. Where had that drill come from anyway? But once they were under the surface of the hill, the spaceship stopped. The drill made of whatever energy vanished, leaving the egg-shaped escape-ship cradled in the Earth.

Exiting the pod, Jack noticed there was a sizable clearing/tunnel back up to the now holey hillside. Inspecting the space that would be their Warren, Jack needed to make the impact less obvious. With the help of the two Moonmice, Jack started digging another tunnel, just a little bigger than himself to the surface. It would take a while, as Jack didn't know how to use tunnel magic. He did know how to do some simple illusions from his cousin's teachings. However, magic illusions were all well and good, but they were just that, delusions of the senses. The better illusions were the ones you made with your hands. At least they couldn't be magically found.

By the end of the week, Jack and the twins had completely hidden their presence to being nigh undetectable. The wall of the hill was just that, a hillside. (Unless an inside lever was pulled and then there was a second exit that came out behind large bushes and grass). The main exit and smaller tunnel came out near a trickling waterfall on the edge of a large lake. The insides of the small warren were 'painted' with a mixture of the remaining stardust and Light Beamers. (Jack had been astonished to find some still left, rather than faded away in a storage capsule.) Light Beamers were a lot like Earth's fireflies, but looked more like flying glowing party streamers rather than a bug.

Now the basics of the Warren were set! No shadows could exist in a complete Pookan lit area. The few limply alive Light Beamers were gently set into a hastily erected 'home'. 'Home' for the Light Beamers were a highly reflective lantern. They could recover, given time and lots of light. After Jack explained this fact to the Moonmice, Andrew asked,

"So... they're like Moonbeams but different then?"

"I guess?" Jack shrugged, "I've never seen a Moonbeam."

"You will one of these days." Amber said eagerly with a determined tick in the corner of her cheek.

Andrew sighed,

"What?" Amber snapped at him,

"You're showing the dimple again."

"So?"

"Trouble usually follows after. And I get stuck with clean up."

"You do not! I clean up my own messes! And yours!"

Amber and Andrew kept squabbling until Jack interrupted them, "Hey! What happened to helping me set up a garden?!"

Andrew smirked, scooping a handful of mud and sneakily threw it at Amber, "Amber's afraid of getting dirty!"

Amber groaned, "Seriously? Who's the one covered in a pitiful mud pie right now."

"Oh your on!" Andrew ducked a ball of dirt and threw a second 'mud pie'.

Jack hastily moved a resting Aloe to out of range of the messy fun, "How did I end up being the responsible one?" Jack mumbled as he secretly started creating and assembling mud pies of his own behind a slightly raised ridge of grass, spying on the unaware Moonmice. Smirking, he joined the fun with twin mud bombs...

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Aloe's upset shriek of surprise abruptly ended the mud showers. Jack dashed over, only making the munchkin shrill even louder at the mud hellion approaching the infant. Jack winced, pining back his ears. "It's okay Aloe! It's me Jack." Jack cooed at the mud spattered baby.

Aloe relaxed at Jack's voice, but still tensed as mud crusted hands reached for him. Detecting Jack's scent, Aloe finally settled down and allowed his older brother's soggy self to pick him up without bolting. Aloe scrunched his nose, "Muddy Ack."

Jack chuckled, "Yes I am rather mucky," and then got to work cleaning and grooming Aloe before the younger youngster squirmed out of his hands. Jack then quickly groomed his own fur, before remembering the Moonmice. _Opps. _Jack felt rather embarrassed because grooming was only supposed to be done in privacy at home. Thinking about it, Jack shrugged off his embarrassment. Well... they were in their new warren and the Moonmice were friends, but still... Seeing that Amber and Andrew had politely turned away Jack resolved to do his own grooming away from them. It's not like they were family yet.

While Amber and Andrew cleaned themselves off in turns at the other end of the Warren, Jack played with Aloe until the shape-shifting crystals caught Aloe's attention. "Don't eat that Aloe." Jack fished the crystal out of Aloe's mouth, wiping the slobber off of it, directing Aloe's attention to the ground, "Watch this Aloe." Jack buried a seed and waved his hand over the spot. A long stringy plant up spouted, growing until Jack was satisfied.

Aloe was trying to pounce on the single blade of swaying wispy grass. Jack bit most of it off, Aloe turning big sad dejected eyes on his brother, as if to say '_Why did you do that?' _

_ "_Almost done. I can make more willow rope for you to play with later." Jack apologized, sniping the piece of willow rope grass into two uneven pieces. With a few misses, Jack managed to thread the crystals, making two simple necklaces. From a storage capsule, Jack revealed two sets of clasps, snapping and tying the necklaces together. Aloe watched in curiosity as Jack draped the smaller crystal necklace onto his head. _Now Aloe wouldn't dislodge the crystal by accident._ Jack put on his own crystal, thinking hard to activate the magic and shifted into a short brown haired and brown eyed human child. It was a bit trickery to activate the magic for Aloe, but Jack managed, turning his brother into a mini human version of himself.

Now... the Moonmice needed to be coached through the process. Good thing they were already there inspecting Aloe and Jack in fascination.

/

"How do these crystals even work?" Andrew glared at his unyielding amulet.

"Well..." Jack thought, "First off, it's not recommended to change into something bigger than your normal form, especially for beginners. It just doesn't end well." Jack winced, remembering watching a shape-shifting accident. The memory was faint but it still sent shudders of horror through him to this day.

"Why not?" Amber asked,

"The best option nothing happens. The other options include a gutsy explosion or stuck as a half formed original species with random, twisted features from the species you were trying to turn into." The Moonmice made disgusted faces,

"So becoming taller isn't good. Got it." Amber nodded.

"Are there any more don't or it doesn't end well?" Andrew asked weakly

"Not that I can remember, sorry. Just think hard enough about what you want to be."

"Right then. I've always wanted to become a flying squirrel." Andrew decided, apparently thinking hard enough about it that... no poof, but Andrew was now a small brown and black furred flying squirrel.

"...Why a flying squirrel?" Amber asked, inspecting her brother's new appearance.

"What is a flying squirrel?" Jack knelt down to Andrew's even shorter-than-before height.

"'Cause they are cool." Andrew retorted to his sister, turning to Jack "They're squirrels with a superpower!" It was odd to see a squirrel fold his arms, even if that squirrel was Andrew, "And they are easy to blend in when it's a common enough animal in the wild of Northern America and-! It's a common pet or 'favorite' in this area."

Amber blinked, "That was more logical than your first reason. Have you really wanted to be a flying squirrel all that time when you took your turn at the telescope?"

"Yes. I don't have to be logical all the time to make sense." Andrew declared, rather exasperated. "Like how cheese tastes better on the Moon."

Amber looked like she -mostly- disagreed, "We haven't even tried Earth food yet!"

"So?" Andrew the flying squirrel shrugged, "I bet it's true!"

"So what are you going to be Amber? The local humans wouldn't have ever seen a Moonmouse maiden before." Jack interrupted another budding argument.

"I... don't know." Amber mumbled in embarrassment as she straightened her Moon navel uniform.

"How about crickets?" Andrew suggests, snickering, "They are popular pets in Asia."

Amber glares at her brother, "No. I don't want to be eaten because I looked like something on the bottom of the food chain."

"What about one of Toothiana's fairies?" Andrew idly drew in the dirt as he thinks out loud. Behind him, Aloe plays with the willow rope.

"We are trying to blend in remember?" Amber stomps her foot in frustraton.

"Besides," Jack added thoughtfully, "Who knows how long I'll be a storyteller? You can decide on something simple and you can switch up forms later."

Amber sighed, "Maybe I'll figure out what I'll be when we figure out when we figure out why you don't have parents."

Jack deflated, "It's not like I can explain they were killed in battle without unseen consequences. So what about a sickness?"

"No that wouldn't work. Everyone would avoid you as if you are carrying the sickness. Especially it would have happened somewhat recently for you to be left taking care of a toddler, two maybe three years of age. Not to mention Aloe is a very healthy toddler when they are typically among the first to be sick." Amber deconstructed the suggestion.

"Hmm... it has to explain my skills too. My Aunt Blizzi made up quite a few stories, but she loved the nit picky details about a certain character even if it had no relevance to the story. I'd make characters with her," Jack reminisced both joyful and sorrowful, going off track, "It was fun. Fun even more so to dump random characters together and try and get them to understand each other with a set of experiences. Well... it was hard at first... I had a hard time getting the interactions the way I wanted sometimes." Jack scrubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Amber blurted awkwardly,

"For what?" Jack asked softly, an eye peeking out from behind his hands.

"For your family. I know I don't understand your loss, but I'm here." Amber hugged Jack as best she could with her short stature. Silently, Andrew put a squirrel paw on Jack's knee, "We're here." Amber corrected herself.

"Thank you." Jack soaked in the contact of friendship. This rudimentary den in and under the hill was on it's speedy way to becoming home.

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It was late fall and the leaves were turning the most gorgeous colors, the gentle breeze carrying along the rich tart scent of apple cider and apple pies. (And numerous other pies, but the number of apple pies were overwhelming in comparison). Four young noses twitched in anticipation... well Aloe had sneezed, but kept sniffing the air anyway.

Traveling quickly with a somewhat odd gait (his feet kept wanting to bounce instead of roll), Jack carried Aloe on his back with his father's supposed staff (really it was clay and bark molded on top of his favorite weapon). And a tame flying squirrel sat on his left shoulder while a small otter pranced next to him. Approaching the in sight town labeled Burgess by a wooden sign staked into the ground, Jack hoped that he would be able to find residence in a home during winter.

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"But soft! Here cometh a wayfaring stranger! Good Morrow youth! From whence thou come over the bladed grass decked with liquid pearl?!" An over eager elderly man shook Jack's hand vigorously. A handbell tied was to the older man's belt, causing his every movement to jingle.

_Okay..._ for all that Jack had basically learned English with the help of the Moonmice and a fixed language learner, he wasn't sure if he understood that. Although... it sounded intriguing, "Hello." Jack responded. The elder was dressed in what Jack assumed were clothes a step under the wealthy, durable, but with some threads of fashion. The as yet unnamed individual was a modest height of a solid five feet, but still taller than Jack.

"The youth speaks! Hark in mine ear! This is Fortune's work that I should greet those friends thou hast and thou first before yet a member of the company favored with mine soul. Seek you toil or trouble? Hark!" The little man quieted, before pardoning himself in a not very hasty manner, "By your leave, making it momentary as a sound to enter human hearing and come I now! My business calls on me and I embrace th' occasion to depart. I'll not be by. He that hath the steerage of my course, direct my sail. The form of my intent will at more time, the interim having weighed it, let us speak our free hearts each to other."

Jack idly wondered how bewildered he looked in comparison to how bemused he felt.

Fortunately, a giggling young pregnant woman with mischief twinkling in her eyes soon rescued Jack from his predicament.

"Greetings young stranger! That was Edmund Fortinbras the town crier, but he prefers to be called the bellman." Seeing that Jack was still baffled, Melody continued, "In other words, he makes public announcements and spreads the news. He's odd, going as far to offer a different reason each time for speaking in rhyme. The reasons that often recycle in gossip say that he's a lost actor or that he took a knock to the head. Personally, I think he likes to make others look confused. And I am Melody Overland."


	6. Welcome to Burgess

Secretly Pooka

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or references to Shakespeare

Author's Note: I've got a few planned plot twists in my story... ones I haven't read being done before. I wonder if any of my readers or reviewers will come close to guessing what I'm thinking of doing...

Thank you to my reviewers for your input!

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chapter six: Welcome to Burgess

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"Jack- Jack Frostfall." Jack stuttered as Melody gasped in pain, hands clutching her stomach. Jack gulped and nervously rubbed his ear, _She wasn't about to go into labor was she?!_ "Are- are you okay?"

Melody puffed as she regained breath, "Just peachy Jack. This littl'un just kicks strongly at least once a day."

Jack edged closer, looking between Melody's stomach and Aloe, "So... the baby isn't coming yet?"

Melody laughed, "No. This babe has a month or two left."

Jack sighed a little in relief, "That's good. Mom clutched her stomach and then screeched at Dad that she was going into 'labor, that the baby was coming!' And somehow Aloe came out of the room and it sounded like it hurt." Instead of his ears being pinned back in embarrassment, Jack felt his face burn. Was this how humans expressed awkwardness? Melody's face was red... was that what he looked like?

Melody coughed, "Yes, well... Who is this little munchkin?"

"This is Aloe, my baby brother."

"And what did you come to Burgess for? With a squirrel and an otter I might add?"

"They're my friends. This is Andrew and that's Amber. Say hi you two." The two 'animals' waved.

"Hello." Melody waved cheerily back "Rather intelligent, I think I like them."

"I like them too." Jack grinned,

"How did you tame them?"

Jack panicked, it was one thing to have a planned conversation and another to remember the right back story in the heat of the moment. He blurted, "Um... They aren't, tamed per say, but they like me so they follow me."

"I bet there is an interesting story behind that." Melody gently teased, or at least Jack interpreted it as gentle teasing. He gave a sigh of relief,

"Yeah, it involves..." Huh, how could he describe their meeting on the moon sound interesting but not strange, "The moon, teddy bears, acrobatics and an upset baby brother."

"I can't wait to hear it. ...Are you staying around here?"

"We've got a place, but it's pretty far out. Is there anywhere in town where my brother and I could lodge for the winter?"

"Probably." Instantly, Melody had the gleam of a professional barter. Melody tapped a finger against her mouth, "Do you have something to trade? We don't have a hotel or similar such. Most families can't afford another mouth or two to feed and those that could might not want to share..."

"I've got a few things I could trade... like Aunt Petal's extra quilts." Jack gazed quizzically upward at the pregnant lady, "Would that work?"

"For some. What about your skills?" Melody inspected Jack's thin frame with a critical eye, thinking about employment opportunities for the lad. _He wouldn't be able to apprentice with the blacksmith. Jones prefers boys with some meat on them already and anyway he already has three apprentices. I think Jones is at his limit with the amount or lack of work he has. Jack could run errands or herd cattle..._

"I'm a pretty good woodsman. I know how to make a few simple traps." Jack thought it over, "Dad made sure I could fight wild animals around my size. He was a trapper you see."

Her earlier thoughts derailed, Melody gasped, covering her mouth with a hand, "Was? I hadn't wanted to pry..."

"I would have needed to explain sooner or later why we were without an adult's guidance anyway." Jack sighed before smiling a bitter brittle up-twist of the mouth, "Yeah. My dad was a trapper. My parents passed away not to long ago; it's why we are seeking refuge in town for the winter. Until Aloe grows a little, I don't feel comfortable raising him alone during the cold weather. I can do it in warmer weather, but," Jack shrugged,

"Winter's coming." Melody nodded in understanding, "Tell you what, I'll talk to my husband and you bring those quilts and we'll see if we can come to an agreement."

"That would be amazing! But... what about your baby?"

"My husband has a cradle in the works. If all goes well however you'd be sleeping on the floor." Melody said, very apologetic. _My house isn't made for boarders yet. _

"That's alright. I can use my mother's quilt for bedding." Jack assured her, "Or I could make a rug."

"You can make rugs?"

Jack nodded, "Ones with simple weaves. Depends on the material I guess."

"Then you won't be able to make a job out of it."

"I can do simple errands and trapping until I get a proper apprenticeship or job... though I'd prefer a job. I do plan on taking up my father's mantle when I'm older."

"Good to know," Melody nodded, "So may inspect your Aunt's quilts?"

"They are quite a few miles away, but I can have the quilts and other things here by the afternoon if I leave within the hour."

"But you just got here, I don't want to run you off. If you got here from that far away, you must be tired." Melody's eyes were full of concern.

"Oh, I'm fine. I can handle a jog." Jack assured her.

"But what about your brother? Does he need rest or a bit of tucker? How are you going to carry him while carrying quilts? And what about your animal friends?"

"Amber and Andrew will be fine. I have a sled that can handle the weight of the blankets. I've got bread and apples if he gets hungry. And Aloe basically napped at least half of the time."

Melody had relaxed a little, "Bread, huh? Do you actually know how to cook then?"

"A little. Nothing for a fancy eating place, but I can make a pretty decent salad and simple fruit twists."

"That's more than my Nathaniel can say. His expertise is with jerky. He can't even weed the garden correctly half the time. Maybe you can save more of my vegetables this year." Melody rubbed her stomach, "With this little one on the way, I can't bring my wrath on the errant villainous rouge rubbish properly."

Jack's eyes were wide, she was certainly creative with her words, "...Did you mean the weeds or your husband?"

Melody smirked at the boy, "The weeds, although, from what the other ladies have said, I might howl more plentiful insults when this wee one decides to arrive."

"Err... okay. I'll just go and get my quilts now."

"I'll just be going then. If I'm not out and about, the Overland home is the closest log home to the lake."

"I appreciate it. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"See you in the afternoon then. Cheers." Melody might've been off to the market or to converse with other ladies. Jack didn't know, but turned about and traveled to his hidden Pookan home.

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"Mercy, lad! Did you not leave any blankets for yerself?" Melody leaned against her door frame in astonishment. The stack of thick almost brand-new quilts were in better condition and in greater numbers than she had anticipated. The tower of bed warmers was at least half the lad's height!

"I've got enough of a stock pile left. I picked out my favorites, ones that reminded me most of my family and set them aside."

His aunt must have been quite the seamstress. Melody jolted out of most of her daze as Jack responded. She hadn't thought she had said that out loud.

Jack chuckled, "She couldn't do clothes but she was a fan of warm hugs, Aunt Petal's name for the blankets."

Running her hand over the top blanket, Melody almost melted into it's softness, "I can understand why. I've never felt a blanket so soothing before."

That actually was a Pookan trade secret that kept nightmares from happening, but Jack couldn't very well explain that! "Aunt Petal's secret. She loved making them and sharing them in her spare time."

"Are you really trading these?"

"I've got enough family heirloom quilts to keep Aloe and I warm in future winters." Jack assured her.

"You've got a place to stay if I have anything to say about it. Nathaniel will be back soon with another barrel of jerky venison. We will survive this winter with enough portioning."

"Thank you." Jack's blue eyes glowed with relief.

"I have the feeling I should be thanking you, lad. We won't perish of the bitter cold at least."

Jack frowned slightly, he hadn't thought of that, "What about other families? You could trade the blankets or something if they don't have adequate sources of warmth."

"And it will be a great blessing to us all." Melody nodded determinedly, "I don't want do have another friend perish because of the cold. Speaking of which, could you take one to Sir Fortinbras? He's getting on in years and I would like to thank him for his cheer."

"Sure, would you like to pick one for him? I'll see that he gets it... er, will he still be out and about?"

"He'll likely be out and about until the sun goes down. His home is the tiny brick building close to the marsh on the other edge of the town. He's always been fond of poetry... if you have anything resembling stars, can you take him that one?"

"I've got three actually." They weren't the stars above Earth, but it wasn't like it would matter... right? Jack carefully pulled the blankets out of that one and let Melody inspect them,

"Hmm... which would he like best? Ah ha! This one has more yellow. I think I remember him saying it was his favorite color at one point."

"So... do I simply say this is a gift from you?"

"Child, your family made it. You can even say it's a gift from you so long as it gets to Sir Fortinbras."

"Alright. Where did Aloe get to? Come on Aloe... alright you can eat that."

"But that's a dandelion. A weed."

"They're edible if a bit bitter."

"I could look after the wee one if you want."

"Nah, it's alright. Aloe need to run to get tired."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. He's already had two naps today. It might be a pain to get him to fall asleep."

"Well then, see you in a short while lad."

"You are a gracious hostess."

"Off you go lad." Melody smiled.

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"Sir Fortinbrass! Sir Fortinbrass!"

"Oy! Tush! It's Sir For-tin-bras! Tis the youth come early. Hast thou a job of employment for hereabouts?"

"Not as yet, Sir Fortinbras. I have a gift for you." Jack held out the blanket Melody had selected from the pile.

The short man gazed inquisitively at Jack, running a shaky hand lightly over the cloth, "Pray pardon me, I understand not what you mean by this. Pray tell why would thou, a stranger, give me such a prize of quilted warmth."

"Well I traded a number of quilts to Melody Overland in exchange for residence during winter and she wanted to share one with you. 'To give thanks for your cheer' I think was her reason." Jack politely didn't mention the 'getting on in years' part. "And I know I'm new, but you're interesting." Was that tactful enough? Or maybe not tactful. Sir Fortinbras had a strange look on his face.

The older gentleman released a breath and smiled softly, "Give me your hand if we are to be friends. Shake on it."

"Okay." There seemed to be some important ritual among this people with the clasping of hands. Granted they didn't have large ears to express emotion, but it still felt more than a little strange to 'shake hands' as it were. After the ritual of friendship, Jack handed the blanket over. Sir Fortinbras smiled brightly and gestured him to sit down in a chair. Not too far away Amber was keeping track of Aloe while Andrew continued to scout the town.

/

"Sir Fortinbras? Are you alright?" Jack asked when the older gentleman hadn't spoken for a while and looked on the verge of tears while petting the golden parts of the blanket. Guess the yellow really meant a lot to Sir Fortinbras.

"Nay lad. I have looked upon the world for four times twelve years. Twas on one midnight fated to th' purpose..." Burgess's town crier took a rumbling breath, "Truly, with no less nobility of love, seven summers have withered since split and torn in twain was my very heart! Mine drought weathered soul since she whom of all the world I loved... By angels my wife to heaven was lifted. Oh my Emilia! She whom had strands of starlight, moonlight and sunlight intertwined amongst her golden locks of summer! Mine memory holds her wishes and tears, such as her fondness for words of the theater. Ever after shown the way to heaven, her ghost I with remembrance guard. Forevermore to neglect the common tongue. Nevermore will rich words be deprived to the globe. I will follow she to mine last gasp."

Taking some time to decipher Fortinbras's jumbled fancy dialect, Jack eventually interpreted that the widower spoke in the way of scrambled Victorian English to remember his wife who had passed away seven years ago.

"I understand. My family was killed a while back, but it still seems unreal." Jack added softly, "Some days I expect to see my parents when I wake up, but then all I see is dirt. And then after panicking, I realize I still have Aloe."

"Ah lad," Fortinbras sighed, "Searching of thy wound, I have by hard adventure fund mine own. To be contracted in one brow of woe in great measure even mine hand would forgive a foe. But in the beaten way of friendship, though our fellowship lacks length, I do invest you jointly with my power, preeminence, and all the large effects that troop with majesty. Henceforth, mine palm of great experience will aid thee. Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours, makes the night morning, and the noontide night. Such as it is, give thanks you have lived so long."

"Maybe I'll see another member of my family still living one day." Jack sighed, "Such is my hope."

"Tis a worthy goal. My hope and prayer is to be with my Emilia in the afterlife. By my testimony, I know I shall, unless I utterly fail to accomplish my purpose to live on Earth."

The two, one a mature youth and the other, a one wise elder then shared in the comfort of silent understanding.


	7. Life with the Overland's

Secretly Pooka

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians

Author's Note: I was having trouble writing this chapter, so I wrote future events and Aloe turns out pretty awesome.

**Warning: Heart-wrenching scene on the Overland's third Easter.**

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I came up with a couple of prompts, but I don't think I'll write the story (maybe one shots).

**Prompt 1**: what if Jack ate one of Bunny's six-armed chocolates as a mortal. (No side affects until Jack is awoken by the Moon. Appears half and half or gains shape shifting ability).

**Prompt 2:** what if Sandy accidentally interfered with Jackson Overland becoming Jack Frost. (Moonlight filtered through dreamsand). Consequently, Jack Frost is like Nightlight reborn. (If Nightlight had died) At least half-star. Because he had been human, Jack is older than if he had been born a star. **Bonus:** if Jack Frost is Nightlight and Katherine's descendant.

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**Chapter 7: Life with the Overlands**

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Not too long after Jack and Aloe had settled into Burgess and become part of the Overland household, Jack gained a job as sheep herder's apprentice. The pay wasn't much and Jack was usually paid in sheep products, but the young 'boy' didn't mind. Jack was a pretty good hunter and gatherer, so gaining food from the forest wasn't hard. However, no matter how well Jack could hunt, kill, skin, gut, and cook animals, he could never bring himself to eat meat (with the exception of eggs. Jack and Aloe were Pookas, not rabbits). Aloe took one sniff and refused to eat the formerly living beings as well. It drove Melody and Nathaniel nuts when both of them firmly believed that growing boys needed protein. Eventually the adults accepted that the Frostfall boys just couldn't handle eating meat. Oh well. At least this meant, as Jack had pointed out before, that there was more food for the rest of the family. This didn't stop Melody from giving the boys larger slices of bread and larger portions of vegetables, which in all honesty the disguised Pookas preferred anyway. (Jack secretly supplemented their diet from occasional journeys to his burrow and eating off-planet food).

Jack's work as an shepherd was doubly beneficial since Jack could bring Aloe and the Moonmice along. In the times that Jack was left 'alone' with the sheep after his teacher was assured Jack could handle it, the group of four off-planet people played in and around the sheep. While Jack had gained some knowledge of the 'Guardians' he was supposed to share stories about up on the Moon, Amber and Andrew knew that much more. The Moonmice grew up hearing stories of the Guardians, but they only knew the Man in the Moon personally. And once Jack understood a story, he was quick to share it with the village's children.

In the days and evenings that Jack was not working, he was often surrounded by children. Jack played tag, instructed the others how to play altered Pookan games on days he missed his former family the most, was King of any snowball fight, and most importantly told the children of Burgess stories. Even the adults would sometimes listen to Jack's storyteller prowess.

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**Of Father Christmas:**

"Santa wasn't always the jolly old giant that delivered presents to children. He was young once too."

"What was he then?" Samuel Johnson inquired

"He was... hold on, do we have some drums? No? Oh well. Dun, dun, dun! Once upon a time, Santa was a _bandit_."

"A bandit?" Anna Riddle's eyes were wide.

"What is a bandit?" Little 'Lizard' Hopkins scrunched up his nose as he asked his question.

"A bandit is a land traveling pirate." Jack explained.

Sariah Farmer (one of the older children- almost teenager) huffed, "I don't believe you. Santa couldn't have done that... right?"

"There is a reason Christmas is known as a time time to repent and forgive." Jack eyed them knowingly, "Santa was just as mortal as you or me. He still makes mistakes, no matter how much we forget that our beloved characters are mortal too. Even Father Christmas needs to apologize and let past wrongdoings in the past."

The children looked thoughtful as they pondered this point.

"Anyway, how else do you think Santa breaks into people's houses without them knowing? He used to be a magicless bandit."

"Jack!" Samuel scowled, "What about the magic?"

"Well Santa uses that too. Otherwise he'd end up a rather crispy Father Christmas if he didn't use magic to avoid getting burned. If you don't have a fireplace, Santa might come in through a window or even a keyhole."

"But how did Santa then get magic?" Samuel demanded

"Well... that's part of how Santa became Santa. You see, one day the group of traveling bandits came across a lake in the middle of the forest..."

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**Of the Sandman:**

"Did you know the Sandman used to be a star pilot?"

"What's a star pilot?" Anna asked shyly

"A pilot is a captain of a flying ship. But Sandy's ship was a wishing star."

"Cool." Samuel and 'Lizard' breathed,

"A flying ship?" Sariah asked skeptically, "I prefer my feet on the ground, thanks."

"Was Sandy a Genie?" Fred Flintson asked, eyes bright with excitement.

"Kind of. He was never stuck in a bottle. He tries to grant wishes in order so you'll be happy. Ever since he crashed into the Earth, Sandy has been trying to keep children safe in their sleep in the dark. But since there are so many children that need to sleep, he sends his vibrant golden sand out to bring children good restful or playful dreams. It's why you can wake up in the mornings and find grains of sand in the corners of your eyes."

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**Of the Tooth Fairy:**

"Toothiana was different from the other children, because her mother was a Sister of Flight... She's not just a friendly fairy, but she is a fierce warrior too..."  
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**Of the Easter Bunny:**

"...And Bunny paints eggs both as a hobby and to remember his people, the Pookas. He shares them to bring the hope of Spring into your hearts. A reminder that things may be hard now, but they will get better."

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**Of Mother Nature:**

"And so Pitchner's daughter, Emily Jane, survived, believing that her father had forgotten or abandoned her...

She changed her name to Saraphina..."

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**Of Santa Christofferson: **

"Along with all the children, there lived a funny old man who lived in a tree with a literal Bookworm. Now this tree was special and spoke with help of the old man named Ombric. He was a wizard from Atlantis, a place that has it's own stories attached, but those stories for another time. This tree was also special because it contained entire libraries within it's trunk. It was the job of the bookworm to sort and shelve each book..."

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**Of other heroes: **

"There once was a star herder named Nightlight..."

"And the girl that would one day be called Mother Goose was called Katherine..."

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**Of the Man on the Moon:**

"The Man on the Moon used to be a child on the Moon. Do you remember Nightlight? He's in this story too..."

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**Of the Moon moths, Moon bots, and Moon mice that helped raise the Man on the Moon:**

"Don't tell anyone, but Amber and Andrew are Moonmice in disguise..." Jack whispered conspicuously to his audience. Explaining the intelligence of Moon mice was Jack's favorite way to explain Amber and Andrew's attentive and understanding gestures. (Especially when the Moon mice slipped up or purposely spoke to the children). It was the truth, not that the adults really believed it. They just believed Amber and Andrew were really well trained and that maybe Jack had some skill in throwing his voice into different places.

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The weather turned more frigid than anticipated, making Jack remember his Pookan fur wistfully. Once, in searching for a lost sheep, Jack also became lost when nighttime snuck up on him. It trapped him in a thick shroud of darkness, reminding the Pooka of supernatural creatures that would kill him if they could. As best as he knew how, Jack hid his tracks and scent. The wind wasn't the only thing that howled through the branches. Eventually, Jack found shelter under some bramble and bushes, curling into a ball to conserve heat. Underneath his winter clothes, Jack attempted to partially shift into his Pookan fur. He could have fully shifted, but Jack did not for fear of creating too much noise and drawing attention from the creatures that lived in the darkness and also because Jack was curious and desperate to try if it was possible to partially shift. He succeeded before he froze. Come morning, Jack was alive if a bit stiff and found the lost sheep. It was dead, but Jack tried to salvage what little remained to present to the shepherd of the flock. Soon after that, the Moonmice found him and lead Jack to Overland home. The Overlands were relived that Jack was still alive.

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Having been giving a reminder of the warning that the Nightmare King and other beings lived in the shadows of this planet, Jack practiced partially shifting and refreshing his ability in Pookan martial arts when he was away from the rest of the population. That is to say, in Jack's makeshift burrow.

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"Aloe, don't chew on that." Jack gently scolded as he gently retrieved his wood carving, wiping it free of infantile slobber before cleaning the future Christmas present with a handful of snow. Jack inspected his carving, turning it over in his hands in order to look for any bite marks. He handed a teething toy to distract Aloe from fussing. The younger Pooka's teeth were getting stronger. The teething toy was a wool covered piece of wood. Looking at the lake, Jack noticed that the Overlands would soon have to cut ice away in order to get to the water underneath.

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Christmas came around and the Overland's and Frostfall's traded presents within their cabin. Jack gave Melody a detailed wooden wreath, decorated with hummingbirds guzzling nectar, bluebirds watching over fledglings in their nest of plants and twigs, a beaver piling wood and two young rabbits playing with a flying mouse and an otter.

Melody and Nathaniel were stunned, "You carved this?"

Jack ducked his head, "I had plenty of spare time watching the sheep, so... yeah."

"It's beautiful Jack. Thank you." Melody gently traced the carvings.

"You've got a lot of talent lad." Nathaniel smiled

Jack's face burned in pleased embarrassment, "I'm not as good at furniture, but I did each animal for one of all of us. The hummingbirds for Melody, the bluebirds for the baby, the beaver for Nathaniel, the rabbits for Aloe and I, and the otter and squirrel for Amber and Andrew."

Melody cooed, "Clever," she praised.

The next present was a high chair from Nathaniel to Melody. It could be partially dismantled into a booster seat when the baby grew too old for a high chair.

Melody gave Jack some embroidered handkerchiefs and a canteen made out of an empty gourd and a piece of cork. She gave her husband a new coat to his surprise.

Nathaniel gave Jack a dreamcatcher, traded from traveling Native Americans and his old coat.

In turn Jack gave Nathaniel new sheepskin gloves and an almost new bridle he had saved up for.

"One of these days I will own a horse." Nathaniel vowed, "And I will use this bridle to tame it."

Aloe giggled as he licked and chomped on a small amount of candy. Jack had separated the bags of candy to share it with Amber and Andrew later.

Amber and Andrew had been given their own official bed for inside the house.

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Melody's water broke on New Year's eve. Her husband and boarders were kicked out of the house by the midwife and the other women attending the birth. Two hours later, Emily Jane Overland was born on the first of January. (Melody had really liked the name when she overheard Jack telling the story behind Mother Earth). Emily was a week or two overdue, as she had been predicted to come sometime in December, but everyone was happy with the healthy baby girl.

As the sun rose, it's rays of warmth blessed the sleeping mother and child. Nathaniel pulled himself out of bed slowly, looking fondly at his small family. He stepped around the Frostfall boys, who were curled up around the other and were slowly becoming part of the family. Nathaniel pulled on his outdoor coat and went out the door to do some early morning chores.

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Several people who might not have survived the winter without the blessing of the 'Warm Hug' blankets did in fact survive another winter.

"Good Morning, Sir Fortinbras."

"Good Morrow, son of Jack." The town crier waved back.

Jack blinked, "I am Jack."

"But you are also Jackson Frostfall, no? Therefore, thou art the son of Jack."

Jack thought about it and shrugged. It wasn't that big of a deal.

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Jack scooped up the blinking baby bundled in tiny clothing and several blankets, cooing, "Happy Easter Emily."

"Jack! Florers!" Not too long after Emily had been born, Aloe had started to speak single words in English. Aloe's communication and comprehension skills were better when he spoke in Pookan, but everyone around them thought it was merely infantile babble.

"Aloe," Jack sighed exasperatedly, as he tucked Emily into the crook of his arm, "We're not supposed to eat the vegetation, we are supposed to be finding eggs."

Aloe whined as Jack pulled him away from half chewed Marigolds. "You could ride my back." Jack offered.

Aloe brightened and turned around, hopping onto Jack's back. Jack grunted as the small cannonball wriggled for a better perch. Not finding it, Aloe climbed up and sat on Jack's shoulders.

"You alright up there?"

"Yep." Aloe chirped cheerfully.

"Look! Over there!" Jack pointed with his free hand, walking swiftly towards a tree. Jack gently pulled a intricately painted egg out of the elbow of the tree branch, "This is what we're looking for Aloe."

"Hmph, florers better." Aloe sniffed the egg, but obediently began looking for other eggs.

"But with enough of these, we can have eggs ala goldenrod over toast." Jack explained, before looking down and chuckling at a yawning Emily, "You don't understand yet, but you will." Jack promised.

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In someways, being invisible to the Guardians had the rare benefit. If Jack stayed up later than he should have, Jack could sometimes see Sanderson's sand dance and pulse above the Overland's and his adoptive little sister's head. If he touched more than a grain of the glowing golden sand, Jack quickly fell asleep. Experimenting around, Jack managed to find a material in his burrow's supplies that to capture and keep a handful of Sanderson's sand. Jack would then share his golden gain by infusing it into the newer generations of light Beamers and threading that in order to embroider blankets. He wasn't ready to attempt quilting yet as he was still learning how to make simple repairs to his clothes from Melody. The blankets became part of Jack and Aloe's nest in their hidden burrow. The fewer unpleasant dreams they had, the less likely Nightmares would discover their origins and hideout.

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Sometime during the summer as Jack improved his furniture skills with Nathaniel and improved his rug weaving (and sewing) skills with Melody, the five household members began to identify themselves as a family.

It wasn't on purpose, but it just felt right to start calling Melody, 'Ma' and Nathaniel, 'Pa' after a while. The familial terms of endearment made Melody and Nathaniel smile a bit brighter and wider. It was a little after a year that the Frostfall's had known the Overland's when the terms became more well used.

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**2****nd**** Christmas with the Overland's:**

"It's Emily's first Christmas, Aloe. She's the youngest and therefore gets the first present."

Aloe frowned, switching his gaze between his presents and the infant who couldn't open gifts on her own yet.

Melody cooed over Jack's attempt at making a couple of outfits and a tiny cloak, "These are good work Jack. Emily, you've got some talented brothers."

"You really have a knack for clothes, son."

Jack blushed, rubbing his head, "It's a necessary for living on your own."

"Most bachelors, even the hermits, probably don't have this much skill." Melody praised him.

Jack cleared his throat, "Moving on, Aloe this is yours."

"Mine?" Aloe immediately began playing with the rabbit-looking wooden toy.

"Yours." Jack nodded, "And this is for Ma and this is for Pa."

"Thank you Jack."

"You're welcome." Jack gestured the adults of his Earth family to open their gifts. A new kettle for Melody and a new ax handle and stone sharpener for Nathaniel.

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**Emily's birthday:**

"Happy Birthday!" the family cheered over the two year old, who ignored them and started eating her piece of cake without her hands.

"Face plant!" Melody laughed, "You are so going to need a bath after this."

Emily looked up, smothered with frosting and smiled as she took another piece of desert with her tiny hand, gnawed on it before offering it to her mother.

"No you eat that." Melody said.

"Aloe! Don't eat that! We're allergic to chocolate, remember? Our cake loaf is on the other plate." Jack hurriedly knocked the chocolate cake out of Aloe's hand.

Aloe started to fuss until a piece of the other cake was shoved into his mouth by Jack.

"Jack!" Nathaniel laughingly scolded the unrepentant boy,

"What? I stopped his crying."

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"You know I just realized that I don't know your birthday." Melody mused.

"Ah." Jack rubbed his head, how was he supposed to answer that? The Pooka didn't keep time like humans did, so birthday celebrations were rather rare actually nonexistent during the Fearling War, "Erm, I was born during Winter sometime and Aloe was born one day in Spring." Jack shrugged helplessly. He did know the day he had been born, but not only was it on a different calender than American's, but it would be hard to explain he'd been asleep for a millennium or so.

"Hmm. How about we celebrate your birthdays on the first day of your season." Melody proposed.

"I'm fine with that." Jack shrugged, "But what do you do for a birthday anyway?"

"Eat your favorite meal, play games, and get a gift or two." Nathaniel answered promptly,

"That, sounds really awesome." Jack decided, "Good thing Aloe's birthday is up next then. And then it's Easter again."

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**2****nd**** Easter:**

"Easter is your favorite holiday isn't it?" Melody asked

"Of course it is Ma! The only thing better than the egg hunts are snowball fights." Jack bounced as he poked his head into a bush, climbing trees to gather the higher placed eggs.

"Uh huh, keep an eye out for my Emily. She's been crawling everywhere!" Melody said with a little exasperation and pride.

"She's definitely curious about the world." Jack smiled as he grabbed another egg, "Come on Aloe, this way!"

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**Fall:**

"It seems no battle has called for myself, but instead, I shall perish..." Sir Fortinbras coughed, "Amongst the presence of dear allies. Away to my beloved I am called. Live well my friends."

"Farewell friend." Jack said softly as Sir Fortinbras's grip fell slack. Somehow watching someone pass from this level of existence was just as poignant a moment as it had been during the Fearling War (if they died off field, usually in the hospital wing. Although Jack carried weapons, he was not allowed on the front lines). It was far more peaceful and less rushed, but just knowing that it would be a long time until they met again (in the afterlife) made Jack's heart ache.

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**3****rd**** Christmas:**

The snow and ice would occasionally get so high that it prevented people from opening their doors. Nathaniel pried open the window and Jack squeezed through the opening. As quickly as Jack could, he retrieved the shovel buried in the knee-high snow and began to dig out the Overland home. Once Nathaniel could exit the door, he found a neighbor's shovel and the both of them worked on clearing a path out of peoples homes. As more people could move around, more men and boys piled out of their homes and helped push off the heavier loads of snow off of people's roofs, making temporary fixes to partly collapsed roofs and finishing clearing the town.

Jack hummed in pleasure as he sipped a cup of hot cider. It was one of the best parts of the season.

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Jack blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"Do you like it?" Melody asked,

"I love it." Jack assured them, "My own skates." Jack mumbled, fingering the boots in awe.

"It took some doing, but you've earned it Jack." Nathaniel smirked, "I'll come help get you started."

/

"Come help me get started indeed." Jack muttered as he once again landed on his rear, "More like watch the entertainment."

"You shouldn't be hobbling yet even if you do have a staff." Nathaniel yelled out to him,

"If I'm old, then you are _ancient_ dad." Jack retorted, smirking as he swiped some snow.

"Hey!" Nathaniel cried back indignantly just in time to sputter as a snowball hit him, "Just remember you started it." Nathaniel started firing back snowballs. It was easier to target Jack when the lad stood either unsteadily on the lake or slipped on the ice. But Jack gave as good as he got and returned fire even if most snowballs missed hitting Nathaniel while Jack was still on the surface of the lake.

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**3****rd**** Easter:**

The spring was particularly cheery, despite the lingering winter. Several would-be artists appreciated the flowers bursting out of patches of snow. It made the colors of the newly born or blossoming plants stand out more.

"A little to the left, son!" Nathaniel grunted as the two of them built a new wall to extend the cabin. Aloe was off to the side, gathering sawdust into a bucket and his wild hair. Melody could be heard humming as she freshened up the cabin, dancing around freely with Emily.

Melody was expecting again. When she was not throwing up, she was glowing with happiness. She sang, she danced throughout their expanding home and the village of Burgess. Several others beyond her family shared her enthusiasm.

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**A few months later:**

Melody sobbed as a tiny grave was gently buried in the summer dirt. Nathaniel's mouth was twisted downward in solemn grief as he held his shaking wife. It was a month before the family could save enough money for an engraved headstone for Nathan Scott Overland, who died within an hour of his premature birth.

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A day later, Melody stared out at the lake with dry eyes.

"Melody?" Jack walked closer when he received no answer, draping a 'Warm Hug' quilt onto her shoulders. "I know you need time, but remember that we need you. We love you and you're a wonderful mother."

Before Jack left the one room house, Melody finally spoke up, "But why? Why did my baby have to die?" Melody croaked, fresh tears highlighting trails upon her cheeks.

"I don't believe that it is a punishment if that's what you are asking. Bad things happen to good people and I believe you will see your son again."

"But will my baby know me as his mother."

"A child always knows their mother. And vice versa. I know I won't forget my mom or my siblings."

/

Melody and Nathaniel eventually recovered from their loss. Not completely, as a loss of a young one always changes you, but they weren't bogged down by depression. Nathan was almost never brought up after that, just remembered in the spare quiet moments.

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**5****th**** Easter:**

Jack challenged his siblings, teasing, "I'm going to find more eggs than you!"

"No me!" Emily Jane Overland yelled, hopping as she dragged her woven basket behind her.

"No I'm going to find more eggs!" Aloe roared back, glaring at Emily, "And faster than Em!"

Jack chuckled, "Well stop being angry and we can find more eggs." Jack had already found five eggs in the upper branches, but he kept quiet as his siblings exclaimed happily over their eggs hidden in bushes and grass.

Eventually they ran out of eggs. Emily had found four while Aloe had gathered six beautifully painted egss.

Jack sniffed before his eyes narrowed on one of the innocent looking eggs within Aloe's basket.

"Good job Aloe." Jack praised as he knelt to inspect his younger brother's eggs, swiping out the chocolate egg with another hard-boiled egg while Aloe wasn't looking. It prevented a fuss and Aloe from getting sick.

"What about me?" Emily pointed to her eggs.

"You did a wonderful job too. Can you count them?"

"Uh-huh." Emily nodded, "One, two, two, four, five! Where'd that one come from?" Emily looked up at Jack, blinking.

"Maybe it rolled in." Jack shrugged, struggling to hide his mirth.

"Jack you have so many eggs." Aloe gasped, "You won!"

Jack shrugged, "Yeah, but most of them are for Natalie Bennett. She's not able to come to the normal Easter hunts so I make a special one for her and anyone else that I'm aware of. Not everyone had full mobility of their limbs."

"Huh?" Aloe and Emily looked quizzically up at Jack.

"Some people are too sick or injured to do activities the way we can." Jack explained.

"Like James?" Aloe asked.

"Well, yeah. But he's grown up blind, so he's accustomed to doing things differently. I almost forget that he is blind, but he has a unique perspective because of it.. Thanks squirts. Do you want to help me set up egg hunts for Natalie and James?"

"Nata?" Emily peered looked around,

"No she won't be coming here. We'll be going to her house. In fact, let's drop off your baskets at the house and you can ride on my shoulders. How does that sound?"

"Up! Up!"

"Not right now Emily. After mom gets your basket."

/

Natalie was still asleep when her mom let Jack and his siblings tip toe inside the Bennett's well established cabin. Jack tried to keep his siblings' giggling at a minimum as they hid eggs all around the dining room.

"Thank you for doing this for Natalie." Mrs. Bennett smiled wearily, "She usually misses it because she gets sick in early spring." Jack winced. Being sick often on top of a lame leg didn't sound like fun. Which was the reason he was spreading joy in the first place.

"No problem." Jack brightened.

"Come on you two rascals, we've got one more house to visit." Jack scooped up his siblings, half bowing to Mrs. Bennett as he grabbed his remaining eggs.

"I'm no rascal! You are!" Emily protested

"Yeah!" Aloe loudly agreed.

Jack mock pouted, "Who told you that?"

"Daddy did." Emily explained, "Youse a good rascal though."

"Why thank you princess." Jack smirked as his younger siblings clung to his head, "Onto to James's home." Jack proclaimed as he carefully pranced on the cobblestone.

/

As they three of them left James's home, Jack chased the happy youngsters home. Looking up at some point, Jack thought he saw a flash of fur. It might have been a deer, but Jack didn't notice any hoof prints when he inspected the area closer. However, there was an early lone purple alpine aster in the middle of a hunting trail.

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**Summer:**

Nathaniel had finally been able to get his own horse in springtime. He used the bridle Jack had given him so many Christmas's ago. After the older men of the household finished building a rudimentary stable, they rented a wagon. Jack traveled with Nathaniel during the summer, trading away finished furniture and rugs for food or other necessities. Jack didn't care much for the bartering process, but as Nathaniel told him, it was a good skill to have later on. The young Pooka often stayed a day or two longer to be the storyteller Burgess knew him as to share the stories of the Guardians and other heroes with the children while Nathaniel found business in repairing furniture. In some cases along their travels, it was Jack learning new stories from others, particularly from those who were Native American.

/

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"Ma! Aloe! Emily! I'm home!" Jack knocked on the door.

"Jack! Where's Nathaniel and the wagon?" Melody asked

"They're coming." Jack waved off.

"Oh. From how far away?"

"A couple of miles." Jack admitted.

"Jack!" Aloe jumped and clung to his older brother's leg.

"Jack!" Emily arrived from the direction of the family garden, leaping onto Jack's back.

"Hello you too!" Jack laughed as he smiled first down at his brother before twisting around to smile at his little sister, "You're getting so tall!"

"Yep! I'm a big girl now!" Emily announced proudly.

"I'm older." Aloe immediately replied.

Jack chuckled, "Aloe, you are always going to be older than our little, opps sorry, younger sister. Do you two want to go greet Pa?"

"Yeah!" the two youngsters cheered.

"We'll be back soon with Pa." Jack said as he lifted Emily from his back to his shoulders and let Aloe climb onto his back.

"Let me tell Nathaniel the news." Melody settled a hand on her stomach.

"Yes ma'am. You heard that kiddos? No mentioning the youngest newcomer to our family."

Aloe and Emily nodded obediently.

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**The November before Jack's sixth winter with the Overlands:**

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A healthy baby boy was born on November 6th. He was named Jackson Aloe Overland after his adopted brothers.

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**6****th**** Easter with the Overlands:**

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"Mom?" Emily poked at the thimble sized painted eggs now in her Easter Basket

"Yes, Emily?"

"My eggs shrunk. I want them to get bigger again. Do they need to eat vegetables too?" The five year old innocently asked.

Jack couldn't hold back his snickers any longer, "Eggs don't eat vegetables."

"But how do I get the eggies to grow big again?!" Emily protested

"Jack." Melody rolled her eyes and held her hand out, "I need the boiled eggs now."

"The eggs are boiled." Melody looked at the young man and raised an eyebrow,

"The Holiday eggs Jack. Emily is panicking over her eggs suddenly shrinking."

"Emily, turn around and count to ten. I'll make them grow big again with my magic."

"Okay. One, two, three.." When Emily got to ten, she turned around and gasped, "Look Mama, the eggs are big again."

"Yes, well Jack knows a lot of magic." Melody said absentmindedly as she inspected the handful of quail eggs in her palms.

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**7****th**** Christmas with the Overlands:**

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A bundled up person approached the Overland cabin with a bag over his back. A smaller person, almost waddling with all the layers keeping the boy warm, toddled after the first. A fist pounded twice on the door.

Nathaniel swung the door open, smiling as he recognized the winter clad young man, "Jackson! You're back."

"I told you I wouldn't be gone for too long. I got back, just as our dedicated postal servicemen did. Letters and packages from your extended relatives." Jack swung the bag into his Earth father's hand.

"Jack!" Emily squealed as she ran to tackle the young man who looked like a sixteen year old, but was believed to be a year or to older.

"Emily!" Jack laughed as he scooped his Earth born sister into the air and swung her around.

"Em!" Aloe pounced on Emily as she was set down.

"Ack! Aloe, you're cold!" Emily half laughed and half screamed as snow fell into her hair and dripped down her back.

Melody, baby Jackson in her arms, smiled softly as she watched the family interaction, "Come on in you two and warm up by the fire. And no pinching any pie dough."

"Aw. But pie dough is yummy!" Aloe protested. Jack chuckled as he pulled off his winter coat.

"But the pies after they are cooked taste even better."

"I don't know," Emily replied, eying the freshly made pie dough, "It's pretty tasty to me." Jack burst out laughing as Melody mock scolded Emily.

"So you're my pie crust pincer! Maybe more snow is needed to decorate your outfit."

"No, that's cold!" Emily protested, running away from her older brothers cold hands. The Overland family burst into laughter together, Emily joining in a few seconds later. Baby Jackson smiled and gurgled happy noises, which only made the family laugh harder.

"He has your laughter Jack. Sooner or later he will steal your smile," Nathaniel teased.

"That's alright," Jack carefully pulled Jackson away from Melody, "It's all in good fun and fun is meant to be shared."

/

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Emily received a beautiful pair of new ice skates from Father Christmas to everybody's delight.

"You can teach me how to ice skate better now."

"Emily Jane..." Melody said warningly,

Emily heaved a great sigh, "Okay, Jack will you please teach me how to ice skate some of your fancy tricks?"

"Sure thing Em." Jack grabbed his own ice skates, "Come on Aloe."

"Be careful." Melody was visibly pregnant as she waved from the house.

"We will." Jack chuckled as he was tugged away by his sister.

/

But in Emily's eagerness to practice with her new skates, she forgot to let Jack test the ice first.

"It's okay. It's okay." Jack tried to calm both himself and Emily as he carefully pulled his skates off, crouching on the ice. "Don't look down. Look at me." Jack pointed his hand to his chest.

"Jack, I'm scared." Emily looked down anyway as the ice crackled beneath her feet.

Jack swallowed, "Aloe, go get Pa!" And Aloe, who had been frozen with shock bolted away. "I know, I know," Jack took a barefooted step closer, "You're going to be alright." He smiled determinedly at her, telling her, "You're not going to fall in." Jack quickly looked around his feet , before looking up again, "Ah," He took a heavy breath, and spread his arms out, "We're going to have a little fun instead."

"No, we're not." Emily cried out.

"Would I trick you?" Jack was desperately thinking of how to get Emily off of the ice.

"Yes, you always play tricks."

"Well, not this time. I promise, I promise you're going to be, going to be fine. You have to believe in me."

Emily took a sharp breath. And Jack finally had an idea as his eyes fell onto his Pookan staff. The wood covering it made a strong hook. Strong enough to pull Emily to safety.

"You want to play a game? We're going to play hopscotch. Like we play everyday. It's as easy as one..." Jack took a step to the side, and the ice cracked underneath. "Whoa!" Jack lifted his other leg and flailed in the air slightly, managing to achieve a laugh from his adopted sister. Jack set his other foot down and skipped over one more step and leaned over to pick up his staff on the stronger ice, "Three! Alright. Now it's your turn."

"One..." Jack spoke rather hushed as Emily took a slippery step forward. Emily gasped as the cracks in the ice increased under her feet.

"That's it, that's it. ...two," Emily couldn't help but look at her feet, "Three!" Jack swung the staff, hooking it around Emily's midsection and threw her away from the thin ice. _Success!_ They smiled in relief.  
But then the ice finally gave way and Jack didn't have much time to catch his breath before he plunged into the lake water.

"Jack!" Emily screamed


End file.
